Grant of £1.5m to renovate Wolverhampton's East Park

A £1.5 million grant was today awarded to Wolverhampton's East Park for it to be restored to its former glory.

The clock tower, bandstand and boathouses will be revamped while the lake terrace will be overhauled.

Work is scheduled to begin late next year after mine shafts in the area have been stabilised.

There will also be further development of the 44-acre Victorian park's recreational facilities and woodland areas.

East Park City Councillor Steve Hall said: "This is a fantastic festive present for the people of this area.

"I have lived here all my life and know what the park means to local residents. It will mean so much to so many people to see it back to its best."

Work to stabilise the mine shafts will start in February with the restoration of the bandstand by a specialist contractor due to begin around June.

The main restoration of the park, including improvements to the boathouses clock tower will follow later.

An earlier £5m application for Lottery funding failed two years ago because of strong competition for other projects throughout the country.