A CAMPAIGN to restore an historic bandstand to its former glory has received a £50,000 boost from the council.

Friends of Swanage Bandstand have raised over £31,000 in pledges so far. With the backing of Swanage Town Council, they are now closer to their £160,000 total.

At its monthly meeting on Monday, August 21, the council voted unanimously to support the restoration project.

It has set Friends of Swanage Bandstand the task of raising the balance within the next 12 months. The remaining sum will be raised through further pledges. The group is currently seeking charitable status and is also intending to apply for Heritage Lottery Funding.

The council also made funding available for the professional fees required to take the project forward.

In February, it set a six-month deadline for interested parties to come forward with proposals for the site, otherwise the site could be filled in by the end of August.

During that time Alan Houghton spearheaded a campaign to secure pledges from the public of donations towards a restoration project.

Speaking of the council’s backing, he said: “This is excellent news and represents a giant step forward towards getting our bandstand back.

“Local people have been enormously generous in pledging £31,500 towards the project, but we do need that to continue, either by pledging more funds or organising a fundraising activity.”

A public meeting in May was attended by approximately 200 residents who supported the restoration of the bandstand by an overwhelming majority.

The council’s working party met with Friends of Swanage Bandstand committee members in July, together with a representative from the Town Band.

The Friends were the only organisation to put forward a formal submission for the council to consider, although the alternative options of removing the bandstand and potentially filling in the sunken surrounds were also debated. However, it was noted that either option would incur substantial costs.

Councillor Caroline Finch, chairman of the tourism committee, said: “I have been so pleased to see such a great public response about the future of the bandstand. The council is working with all parties concerned to support its restoration.

“It has been heartwarming to see the community working together.”

To support the Friends of Swanage Bandstand, contact Alan at al2lyho@talktalk.net, or 07814 319263, or by post to 3 Dingle Court, De Moulham Road, BH19 1NT.