Plans to redevelop the derelict Lowther Castle and Gardens near Penrith, Cumbria, into a new £15m tourist attraction have received a major funding boost worth £9m.

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) will contribute £7m towards the scheme, while an additional £2m is also being put forward by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). An application has also been made to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the remaining £6m, but the funding from the NWDA and the ERDF represents the first stage in the castle's transformation.

The financial support is subject to a number of conditions, which includes the transfer of the site's ownership from the Lowther Estate to an independent charitable trust. Planning permission is still yet to be granted by the Lake District National Park Authority. Plans for the castle's redevelopment includes a new visitor centre in the stables next to the site, offering retail, catering and education facilities, while the castle will be stabilised and its central staircase tower opened up.

The project will also see the renovation of more than 121 acres (49 hectares) of abandoned gardens, and a children's play area will also be constructed.