The Grade One Listed building, considered to be the finest Georgian mansion in Lancashire, is to be restored to its former glory if planning permission is granted.

The exciting proposals for the future, now on show at Lytham Heritage Centre, will take a major step forward when the plans are submitted to Fylde planning chiefs in a matter of days.

They include:
- Holiday accommodation for 12 people
- A tea room
- A glass roof for the courtyard
- Conference facilities
- An exhibition area

The Heritage Lottery fund will provide £2 million for the first stage of development, while Hall bosses will have to raise £3 million by the end of the year.

Various bodies including the Regional Development Agency, Fylde Borough Council, Lancashire County Council and English Heritage will be approached for funding.

Paul Hodgkiss, project manager for the Lytham Hall Heritage Lottery bid, said that feedback had been very encouraging so far.

"We have consulted with the Heritage Group, the Friends of Lytham Hall and the Civic Trust. I have met lots of different people and the responses so far have been very very positive."

"Some people were concerned because they had heard about the holiday accommodation, but when people saw the standard of the accommodation they soon changed their mind, it's a very select letting for long weekends and midweek breaks."

He added: "The Hall has a very long history and we're about to start the next chapter in its history. There are two aspects to this. One is the building works and the plans and the other is working with the involvement of the community."

The present hall was built for Thomas Clifton by John Carr of York between 1752 and 1764.

In the 1960s it was sold by the Squires of Lytham, the Clifton family to Guardian Royal Exchange Insurance and remained in their ownership until 1997 when it was bought by Lytham Town Trust, a charitable organisation.

The Hall is now managed by Heritage Trust for the North West on a 99 year lease supported by various funding bodies and local volunteer groups. A figure of £10 million has been identified to fully upgrade the building.

Mr Hodgkiss said that the development was being done one step at a time.

He said: "£10 million refers to what it would cost to do everything and it's been broken down into phases - this is the first phase. Future developments would include development of the stable blocks for example."

He added: "Once we get the first phase underway then there will be a growing awareness of the hall, user numbers should then increase and people will want to be associated with a successful project."

The plans are currently on show at the Heritage Centre until Sunday, from 10am until 4pm daily.