A target date of next Easter has been set for the revival of a much-loved Weymouth beauty spot.

Campaigners are well on their way to restoring access to Castle Cove Beach thanks to a funding boost.

The footpath to the beach, which has been used by the public for decades, was closed by Dorset County Council more than five years ago but has since been partially reopened. Subsidence prompted the removal of an access staircase down to the sands.

The Friends of Castle Cove charity, with support from the community, have been working on restoring access, and have been fundraising to get the steps in place.

The group has now announced a timetable for building the steps, and says they will be in place by Easter 2019. This will allow full access to the beach, a popular spot with families.

The Friends have raised £10,000 through local donations and have received £20,000 from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council – part of a £250k windfall announced for community groups last week. An ‘intense’ fundraising period will now commence for the remaining £4,000.

Chairman of trustees Steve Elsworth said: “On advice from the contractor, the steps will be timetabled for construction by Easter 2019. We need to have discussions with Natural England and Dorset County Council about closing the path and part of the beach. And of course the landowners will have to be consulted too.”

Mr Elsworth said the charity drew up criteria to choose from a list of six contractors which submitted estimates for the steps, and made its selection last week.

“It was a difficult process as a number of builders wanted to help, and they put a lot of work into these estimates. In the end we chose a local firm.”

Mr Elsworth added: “It’s taken a long time – our campaign has been running since 2014. But our supporters kept us going. It’s good to see light at the end of the tunnel at last. And I’m looking forward to taking my grand-daughter down there.”

To contribute to the campaign see the Facebook page or donate via justgiving.com – name of donation is Castle Cove Beach. Or send a cheque made out to Friends of Castle Cove Beach Charity to Steve Elsworth, 9 Old Castle Rd, Weymouth DT4 8QB.