PLANS are afoot to breathe new life back into one of Dudley Borough's most iconic landmarks.

Dudley Council members will meet next week to discus the prospects of restoring Sedgley Beacon back to its former glory.

Councillors will be working alongside the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country in a bid to obtain almost £1.5million worth of lottery funding.

A bid was submitted during August in an attempt to embark on a development phase for the project, with a decision likely to be announced early next year.

It's believed that Sedgley Beacon has been operating as far back as the seventeenth century.

At it's peak, Sedgley Beacon offered some of the most spectacular views in the Black Country.

Since then, the beacon with its Grade Two listed tower has fallen into disrepair to such an extent, that it's no longer possible to climb to the top of it.

The 50 ft high tower has been subjected to anti-social behaviour, with rubble and rubbish strewn around the base.

The bottom eight feet of the internal stone stairway is also missing while crumbling brickwork has resulted with the building being fenced off.

But Cllr Khurshid Ahmed, who is cabinet member for environmental services insisted: "We are committed to preserving and protecting the historic assets of the borough.

"People used to say you could see as far as Bristol on a clear day from the top of Sedgley Beacon and it would be a real attraction for the community if we could get it back to how it was".

If the initial council bid proves successful, they would then launch a second bid to the Heritage Lottery funding February 2020.

The total cost for the project is estimated to be worth around £1.7 million, with Dudley Council seeking approximately £1.4million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with the total cost expected to be in the region of £1.7million.

Of that total, Dudley Council would be seeking around £1.4million from Heritage Lottery, with the remaining money provided through match funding.

Sedgley Beacon's future is set to be discussed by Dudley Council's cabinet on Thursday October 25 at the Council House in Priory Road, when members of the public are welcome to attend.