COUNCILLORS are pushing forward with a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to secure funding to refurbish Bridport's green spaces.

Bridport Town Council is hoping to win funding from the Heritage Lottery's Parks for People fund. Applications can be made for between £100,000 and £5 million and the town council hopes to plough cash into its open spaces including Plottingham and Asker Meadows, as well as possible proposals to rejuvenate the bus station.

In a report to councillors, town surveyor, Daryl Chambers, said: "This is a heritage Lottery fund programme for projects relating to parks and offers the opportunity to apply for grants from £100,000 to £5 million.

"This is an opportunity to bring together schemes for open spaces in the town and it is proposed to work up an application with members.

"At this stage, it is proposed to allocate a budget of £5,775 to work up an application, to enable an expression of interest to be lodged in September 2017 and for the first round application to be submitted in February 2018."

Speaking at last week's finance and general purposes committee meeting, Mr Chambers added: "What we are looking to do is create the transport hub and Plottingham and the riverside and Asker Meadows and everything else and bring it all together.

"It's very ambitious but we want to link it all together. The timetables are really tight. We have to get in an expression of interest and have plans and consultations done by the end of February.

"This is an ideal opportunity to pull it all together but I think it's the best way forward. I don't think we are going to have a better opportunity."

Mr Chambers is also trying to bring Bridport project manager Crystal Johnson on board, who has successfully helped bring Lottery funding to the town with other projects.

Cllr Sandra Brown was supportive of the project.

She said: "I think we should go for it - this is obviously a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"It is going to be a lot of work but I do think we should go for it."

Committee chairman, Cllr Maggie Ray, also added her support. She said: "It will be the most ambitious thing we have ever done."

Councillors agreed to use £5,775 from the council's existing budget to put together an application for the funding.