A multi-million pound windfall will see historic city parks restored to their former glory.

Lichfield District and Lichfield City councils’ successful bid for almost £4 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund will see three interlinked open green spaces given a makeover.

The £3.9 million Parks For People lottery grant will allow Beacon Park, the Gardens of Remembrance, and Minster Pool, overlooked by Lichfield’s Cathedral, to be transformed.

District council leader David S Smith said: “We are all absolutely delighted.

“This will mean we can totally transform our city centre parks, restoring them to their former glory.

“They are used everyday by visitors and local people. It is so important that we preserve these spaces for future generations, and I am thrilled that we will now be able to not only make sure that they are well cared for, but that they are improved and restored.”

William Henwood, from The Friends of Lichfield Parks who helped to put the bid together, said: “This is great news for Lichfield.

“The improvements will help us play our part in making Lichfield’s wonderful parks an ever more popular and valued amenity for residents and visitors.”

It is hoped the makeover will also help to further bolster a bid to secure Lichfield as a cultural and heritage centre for Staffordshire to pull in more visitors and boost the economy.

Anne Jenkins, head of Heritage Lottery Fund West Midlands, said: “We’re delighted these exciting plans can now go ahead.

“The UK’s parks are wonderful places that in many cases need a helping hand to help return them to their former glory.

“The series of parks in the centre of this beautiful city are no exception and today’s news will do just that, enabling local and wider communities to see, enjoy and experience their hidden gems well into the future.”