A BID of almost £2 million is being made to lottery chiefs to restore Felixstowe's Edwardian seafront gardens to their former glory.

A BID of almost £2 million is being made to lottery chiefs to restore Felixstowe's Edwardian seafront gardens to their former glory.

Officers at Suffolk Coastal said today they were preparing to apply for a grant from Parks for People, run by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The bid is being put together by the council with input from the Landscape Partnership, an environmental design and planning company, and a new community group, the Friends of the Spa Gardens.

“The seafront gardens, namely the Spa, Cliff and Town Hall gardens, cover seven and a half acres of land, and having been enjoyed by generations of tourists and residents they are now in need of serious restoration and repair,” said council cabinet member Mary Neale.

“It is planned that the grant will provide new access routes and an open air venue for arts and cultural activities in the gardens, as well as restoring overgrown and damaged areas to their former glory.

“If the first stage of the application is successful, then a series of workshops, presentations and consultations will be held in Felixstowe for the second stage of the application, involving all sections of the community in deciding what the future of the seafront gardens will be.”

A community group, Friends of the Spa Gardens, is being set up in January to give the people of Felixstowe a say in how the gardens are restored and what new facilities are needed.

Anybody interested in getting involved should contact Susan Robinson, Clerk of Felixstowe Town Council, on 01394 282086 or email susan.robinson@felixstowe.gov.uk

What would you like to see done in the seafront gardens? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk