COUNCIL bosses have unveiled major plans to transform some of the county’s beauty spots into visitor destinations.

Hampshire County Council has announced more than a million pounds of investment in improvement and conservation work on the chapel at Netley’s Royal Victoria Country Park.

But this is just the first stage in a wider multi-million pound scheme to attract more visitors to all of its country parks.

The chapel is all that remains of the huge Royal Victoria Military Hospital built at the country park in 1863, when Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone.

It was more than a quarter of a mile long and cared for sick and wounded soldiers for more than 100 years. The Army demolished the building in 1966 following an extensive fire, except for the former chapel to the hospital.

The county council has put £1.1m towards improvements which should allow the chapel to open at least six days a week for the first time in ten years and means visitors could climb to the top of the tower unaccompanied.

Conservation work would include restoring the hand painted glass windows. A new building would replace the current extension at the front and changes would ensure access for all.

It is hoped the improvements will encourage more people to come to learn about the history of the park, including the former hospital’s role during the First World War.

With a total cost of £2.8m, council bosses hope the remaining funds can be found through a Heritage Lottery grant of £1.7m, which the chapel is currently applying for.

But this is the first step in an ambitious county-wide project to transform all six country parks in the next five years, designed to improve the facilities.

The county council has set aside £8.7m and hopes to secure a further £4.2m in outside funding.

The parks, which include Manor Farm Country Park, Lepe Country Park, Titchfield Haven and the Queen Elizabeth Country Park, attract 1.2m visitors a year.

But the county council says they are showing their age and the facilities are not keeping up with modern needs.

Council leader Cllr Roy Perry, who agreed the £1.1m investment, said: “Royal Victoria Country Park is such a valuable historic site, which is why it is the first to benefit from the County Parks transformation programme.”