Plans for a major revamp of a famous part of a North Yorkshire city have received a cautious welcome.

Details of the scheme for Harrogate's Valley Gardens, which could include converting part of the colonnades and sun parlours into a winter gardens,were revealed at a packed meeting in the gardens' Sun Pavilion.

The plans, now out to public consultation, follow £10,000 successfully secured by Harrogate Borough Council from the National Heritate Lottery Fund to complete a landscape survey and restoration of the gardens.

An earlier scheme for enhancing the gardens was put on public exhibition in 1996. But parks director Pat Kilburn told the meeting that the £5m cost quoted previously was far from accurate and said the cost of the present scheme would be much less.

The council is hopeful of securing a large grant from the National Lottery for the project.

An exhibition about the scheme is on show at the Mercer Gallery, in Swan Road, near the main entrance to the gardens, until July 4, and from July 5 to 22 at the Hydro pool, Ripon Road, Jennyfield.

The Mercer Gallery exhibition is open Tuesdays to Saturdays (10am-5pm) and on Sunday (2pm-5pm).

The Hydro exhibition is open Mondays to Fridays (6.30am-10pm) and weekends (7am-8pm).