WORK to create a new refreshment kiosk in Dorchester's historic Borough Gardens should start before the end of the year.

Dorchester Town Council secured nearly £1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund last year to help pay for a major revamp of the park.

The garden's fountain has already been restored as part of the work.

Now council bosses are confident that other work will start soon and it is hoped they will be completed by the end of next year.

A report in the autumn issue of the town council's newsletter said: 'Many people will have seen the magnificently restored fountain, which has recently been reinstated in the Borough Gardens and will be commissioned shortly.

'We had hoped that the new perimeter fence would be in by now, but we have had some problems with the supplier and the fence is taking longer to deliver.

'The other elements of the project were tendered over the summer and work will be starting on the buildings later in the year.'

The report says the first work will be to build the refreshment kiosk and new toilets on the site of the paddling pool. It is also hoped to start work to refurbish the Borough Gardens House.

When the new toilets are complete the existing ones will be taken out of commission and converted into a mess room for garden's staff.

The report goes on to say that tenders are being sought now for new play equipment, improved planting areas and a new lawn near the bandstand.

The newsletter said: 'Unfortunately the external works will be happening over next summer, which means it will not be possible for the usual programme of free concerts to be operated - we don't know exactly which areas of the gardens will be out of use when, but it is clear that the area around the bandstand will be out of bounds for much of the year.'

The report goes on to say that the town council is planning instead to run a smaller number of events in Maumbury Rings.