WHITBY lighthouse is poised to reopen to the public for the first time in four years following the completion of a £86,000 restoration project by York-based Lanstone Conservation.

The contract for the work, which included repairs to areas of the external stone work, internal works to glazing, windows and the staircase and also steelwork reinforcing, was awarded to restoration and preservation contractor, Lanstone Conservation, which is part of the GEM Construction group.

Part funded by a £50,000 grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) Coastal Revival Fund, which recognised the important significance of the project, the remainder of the costs was invested from harbour funds, which will be offset by income generated from reopening the lighthouse to the public.

Cllr Joe Plant, Scarborough Borough Council cabinet member for Strategic Planning and Transformation said: "The lighthouse plays a very important part in Whitby’s attraction as a centre for culture and heritage and crucially, the DCLG funding has allowed us to realise our aspiration to regenerate it and return it to its former glory.

"We are delighted with the results of the restoration work and we hope local residents and visitors to the town will be too."

The West Pier lighthouse was built in 1831 from locally quarried stone. It served as a navigational aid to shipping with its light visible for more than 10 miles up until 1914 when its function was replaced by more modern navigational aids.

However, the building itself remained and in 1972 the lighthouse became a Grade II listed structure. It was open to the public as a historic attraction up until its closure in 2012 due to the serious deterioration of its condition and a lack of funds at the time to rectify the problems.

Oliver Councell, project manager at Lanstone Conservation Ltd, said: "Restoring such a landmark building has been really exciting.

"We have renewed the perimeter railings to the light box and undertaken significant structural and refurbishment works.

"While it was always challenging working within the confines of such an historic building, it is very satisfying to think that it will now be there for future generations and that visitors can again climb up and enjoy the view."