ONE of South West Durham's oldest parks is to get a £1million revamp if a National Lottery bid is successful.

Plans to repair, restore and upgrade Auckland Park, in Bishop Auckland, have been backed by councillors in order to attract more visitors to the town.

The project could see the introduction of a visitor centre with tea room and lavatory facilities, and a scheme put in place to ensure listed buildings and structures and their settings in the park are preserved.

Wear Valley District Council explored the possibility of restoring the park in 1997 but found it was unable to find the relevant matched funding to secure a successful bid to the Heritage Lottery Funds Urban Parks Fund - now known as the public parks initiative.

At the time, the council needed to find 25 per cent of the bid through matched funding, with the Heritage Lottery Fund giving 75 per cent, but decided not to go through with the bid.

Now the rules have changed and the council has to find just ten per cent of the costs if the bid is up to £1m. The estimated cost in 1997 was about £950,000.

The park attracts visitors who enjoy wandering around the Bishop's Palace and its surroundings, which feature 14 listed buildings and structures including a deer shelter which is a scheduled ancient monument.

English Heritage has included it on its register of parks and gardens of historic interest for England, and the council is hoping to ensure that it keeps its character as an 18th Century landscape.

The authority is not sure whether the new visitor centre will be created at the Lodge building at the gateway to the castle and park or whether it will be located at the Discovery Centre in the town centre.

Another possibility is to erect a new building inside the park boundary.

The existing mature woodland and trees will be rejuvenated and replaced and the council is hoping to maximise the educational and heritage value of the park through events.

The plans have been welcomed by local councillors who say the project is long overdue.

Councillor Barbara Laurie, from Bishop Auckland, said: "I would very much like to see this happening.''