A £1.5million facelift is on the cards for Grafham Water Centre in Perry. A planning application has been submitted to extend the centre, adding a new visitor centre, staff accommodation and reception area as well as a new office and boat store. The work

A £1.5million facelift is on the cards for Grafham Water Centre in Perry.

A planning application has been submitted to extend the centre, adding a new visitor centre, staff accommodation and reception area as well as a new office and boat store.

The work would also add an extension to the current building used by the centre to provide educational courses, activity weekends, and conference facilities.

The plans form part two and three of Cambridgeshire County Council's three-phase redevelopment of the centre.

Phase one was completed in 1997 when a £1million activity hall was built at the site.

Phase two will see a new two-storey visitor and accommodation building constructed. This will have eight bedrooms for children, four bedrooms for teachers and 16 staff bedrooms, as well as sanitary facilities, a lounge room and disabled facilities.

Phase three will see a 220 sq m extension to the north of the existing centre. This will provide a new entrance, reception/office, lounge/seminar room and extend an existing lounge/seminar room. Internal alterations will also be made to the existing building to improve disabled facilities.

The plans also include new pathways, resurfacing an existing car park and the building of a 180sq m boat store.

The two phases will cost about £1.5million and take 33 weeks to complete.

Ian Downing, centre manager, told The Hunts Post he was expecting a decision from the planners in the next few weeks.

"I love this centre but I am biased because I have been here so long," he said. "I am also honest and know that the centre looks tired after 40 years of being so well used.

"The redevelopment will make the site more sustainable because it will be more attractive. People will feel more welcome and will want to come here more often. It will also make it more suitable for wheelchair users.

"This redevelopment package is set to benefit the community."

The centre was built 40 years ago and compromises of a main building, a dinghy store, changing rooms, an activity hall, a mobile classroom and a number of staff-owned caravans.

INFORMATION: To view the application in full visit www.huntsdc.gov.uk and search for planning application number 0805003CCA.