Glusburn councillors are hoping to attract lottery funding to pay for a major renovation of the village's park.

The suggestion arose at a parish council meeting while members were discussing plans to replace the park's toilets, install costly disabled play equipment, and replace some of the worn items.

The parish council has been struggling for some time to find the funds for these projects, and members felt that the way forward could be to look at the bigger picture and apply for Heritage Lottery Funding to renovate the whole park.

Chairman Coun Gill Birks has looked into the application process, and thinks the park could fit the criteria to attract the funds.

She said: "We need to think about what aspects of the park can be enhanced.

"There are two stages to putting the bid together: the first part is to register our interest and ask someone to come down and give us their advice. I think that might be worth doing.

"Certainly the shrubbery at the main entrances of the park are pretty well unchanged since they were put in. There might be other features we are missing.

"We need to know something about the history of the park and go from there."

She added that a market cross was another feature of the park which could be enhanced. This landmark could date back to when the village hosted the annual Malsis Sheep Fair and the Junction Sheep Fair.

The park has been at its present site since July 1925 when it was officially opened by Sir Donald Horsfall.

The money had been raised through village events and donations, and land known as Green Hill was bought for the facility.

Prior to that "Glusburn Park" was an area which is now the institute car park. There was a bowling green, surrounded by a walkway and seats, and the site had formerly been a recreation ground used periodically for fairs.

If money were no object, councillors said they would like to see the current park keepers hut replaced, new toilets with disabled facilities, a refreshment kiosk, the play equipment fenced off and possibly restore the former park pond.

"It would be a lot to do it just by ourselves," Coun Birks said. "We could probably put about £30,000 towards it from reserves and if we precepted next year we could get so far with it, but it is very difficult to know how much it would all cost.

"That is why it would be good to get the advice from the lottery people."

Sutton Park has attracted similar funding for its restoration project, which is now close to completion.

In the meantime work will go ahead to resurface the pathways in Glusburn Park and draw up architect's plans for the toilets.