By Anna Burdett

Last updated 07:57, Friday, 09 May 2008

PLANS to recapture the Georgian glory of a Carlisle park have been awarded £869,500 by the Heritage Lottery.

Something to smile about: Four-year-old Mya Dawson, from Wigton Road, enjoys the sunshine in Chances Park, Morton, Carlisle, this week. The park, above left, is all set for a major revamp thanks to a £869,500 lottery grant. Work is due to start early next year

Work on the improvement project in Chances Park in Morton will start early in 2009 after years of hard work by volunteers to secure funding.

A meeting will be held next month to ask the public what work they want to see done in the park.

Some changes have already been agreed by the organising committee. These include the repair of an historic ha-ha, which was used by people in the Georgian era to keep livestock out of the gardens.

Original features such as iron railings and a herb/aromatic garden will be reinstated and there will be improvements to lighting at seating areas.

A performance stage will be created in the seven-hectare park and an avenue of trees will be planted. Pathways will also be improved.

Iris Rogan, chairman of the Friends of Chances Park group which is behind the scheme, said she was thrilled by news of the successful lottery bid.

She added: “This has been on and off since 2003. We did have a couple of failed attempts and the goal posts seemed to keep changing.

“I am absolutely delighted for the people of Morton and the people who have worked on this project.

“We know we’re going to have a beautiful park.”

She has urged local residents to attend the meeting at Morton Community Centre on June 2 at 2pm. They will get the chance to say what they want to see in the revamped park.

Carlisle City Council has pledged £50,000 in funding and the Chances Park committee needs to find the same again by April next year. The total cost of the improvements will be £1.18 million and other contributors include the county council and individual residents.

Ms Rogan added: “There is no doubt now that this scheme will go ahead.

“This park was given to Morton by the Chance family and now we have the opportunity to restore it.”

To fulfil the conditions of the lottery grant, two visitor surveys will be conducted before work starts.

An Audience Survey Development plan will be completed to ensure people are getting what they want from the park, which dates from 1780 and is home to Morton Manor.