A windfall of cash totalling £100,000 could be on its way to Grange if councillors vote to approve a recommendation made to South Lakeland's cabinet committee next week.

South Lakeland District Council has received an unexpected one-off grant of £348,781 from the Local Authority Business Growth Initiative (LABGI) from the Department of Communities and Local Government.

Members of the district council's cabinet committee are set to allocate £100,000 of the money towards regenerating the Edwardian seaside town at its next meeting on Wednesday, March 21.

It is proposed £5,000 of the total goes towards the cost of preparing a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the development of the 3Ps project.

The report also suggests £20,000 is put towards immediate small improvement works carried out in conjunction with Grange Town Council.

But, if approved, the remainder of the proposed allocation - £75,000 - would be used to pay for a firm of consultants to prepare a wider vision of regeneration for the whole town.

Author of the report to cabinet members, SLDC director of finance, Jack Jones, said Grange had a number of issues that required attention including the derelict lido, the under-used car park at Berners Close, Berners Pool, which closed last summer, the removal of footbridges across the railway and the 3Ps Heritage Lottery Bid.

"There are some exciting ideas for Grange and a lot that could be done.

"It is a unique place and we need to make sure we do things to keep that quality while improving the economy, bringing some life back into the town and making it a more prosperous area to live and work.

"But I believe we need some advice to do this which is why it is suggested some money is put forward for consultants."

Mr Jones added if given the go ahead, the results of the survey would be assessed in the coming financial year before being used to attract external funding into the town to pay for subsequent regeneration work.

"It is a mid-term plan as we would need time to establish funding for the work itself."

News of the potential cash gift to Grange was welcomed in the town this week.

District and town Coun Bill Wearing said Grange was in need of investment.

"We are in a state of real flux at the moment with the pool closed, the car park in need of resurfacing and trying to make sure the Heritage Lottery Bid is not lost as well as all the small things we could do.

"It would be really good news to get some funding into Grange so long as the majority of it is not wasted on a survey to find 12 months down the track that we have not got the money to do the things it recommends."