AN ART exhibition inspired by Dorchester's Borough Gardens has been given the go-ahead for next year.

Dorchester town councillors agreed to support the show at a management committee meeting last night.

Three Dorchester-based artists will now be able to take over the recently-restored Borough Gardens House for an exhibition as part of Arts Week from May 24 to June 8.

Councillors considered a letter from Jennie Runeckles, curator and administrator of the event, that said the three artists - Helen Francis, Susan Sloan and Colin Tracy - were all keen to get involved in the event and were hoping to take inspiration from the gardens.

She said: "The excellent refurbishment of the house would make it a wonderful setting for a visual arts exhibition and the timing of Dorset Visual Arts' Arty Weeks would enable it to be an independently-funded partnership project alongside Dorchester festival."

"Within the exhibition we would like to include a small display on the history of the gardens, and the improvements carried out by the council.

"The exhibition would bring new audiences into the gardens and increase awareness of both the community space and the beautiful gardens that are a real credit to the town council and the town councillors who have all worked so hard to improve them."

Councillor Peter Mann said he thought the sculpture lawn' suggested for the old tennis courts area would be an enormous attraction.

Coun Stella Jones said: "I think it's a wonderful idea to do art based on the Borough Gardens. That's what we've done the Borough Gardens for - so people can use the house and gardens."

Coun Tony Lyall said he supported it in principle but was concerned about finance.

Dorchester Mayor Coun David Barrett said that if they offered the use of the house to professional artists, amateur artists would complain they had not been given the same chance but Coun Andy Canning said any of those groups could make proposals and they would be considered.

He said: "No one's saying at this moment in time that we'll give them any money, we're just saying we support the idea and we'll set the Borough Gardens House aside for that event."