STOURBRIDGE is to launch an ambitious bid for lottery cash to restore the historic main gates at Mary Stevens Park.

Councillors on the town’s Area Committee accepted proposals to make an application for around £250,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to revamp the Grade II listed gates.

The decision, at the committee meeting last night (Wednesday September 3), was welcomed by the friends of the park group, who say the Norton park is a major feature on the Stourbridge landscape.

Cllr Mike Attwood, chairman of the Friends of Mary Stevens Park, said: “The Friends represent many people who use the park and the gates are very important.

“This is a big opportunity and we should take it.”

Repairs to the gates, which were installed in 1931 and made by the same company who built the gates at Buckingham Palace, will cost around £205,000.

The remainder of the lottery cash would be spent on improvements to other gates to the park which are replicas of the main entrance on Heath Lane.

In April 2008 an inspection by English Heritage prompted Dudley Council to commission a specialist surveying company to examine the gates and prepare costs for repair.

Following their inspection, English Heritage described the gates as showing “obvious signs of deterioration - principally corrosion of the floral decoration and the after effects of a vehicle collision”.

The meeting rejected a proposal to pay for repairs from Dudley Council funds but agreed to examine the possibility of guaranteeing the gates would be restored within five years.

Cllr Les Jones said: “I don’t think we can miss this opportunity to make sure officers are aware we will want to get this work done.”

The meeting heard a note of caution from Stourbridge Township Council about worries lottery cash would be swallowed up by projects dedicated to the 2012 London Olympics.

Township Council vice-chairman John Shepherd told the meeting : “The Olympics are frightening us to death, most parks in and around London are going to be concerned in the Olympic bid.

“For God’s sake let’s use funds that are available now, the gates belong to the people of Stourbridge.”

Following the committee’s decision the first stage of a lottery bid will be prepared for submission next year.

If the HLF application is successful a second round of bidding, with more detailed proposals would be submitted later in 2009 or early 2010.

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