The Big Lottery Fund will be sending a team to Dorset and East Devon next month to review a funding application for a project to support regeneration along the Jurassic Coast.

Photograph of Church Ope Cove

'Evolution: Jurassic Coast Community-Led regeneration' is bidding for £25million from the Big Lottery Fund's Living Landmark's scheme. It aims to create four inspirational, world-class Visitor Gateway Centres for the World Heritage Site in Exmouth, Seaton, Lyme Regis and Portland with the aim of regenerating and revitalising the towns and the wider Jurassic Coast.

Inspired and developed by the four towns' community groups and working closely with local authorities and other partners the Gateway Centres will be unique and distinct to each area, reflecting the constantly changing coastline. Each centre will link local community needs and aspirations to the wider goals of the World Heritage Site.

Exciting, engaging, fun and educational hands-on experiences in the centres will involve science, the arts, culture and community activity. In addition, the Evolution project will demonstrate how sustainable conservation, understanding and enjoyment of the natural environment can bring about significant economic and social regeneration.

Evolution is one of just 76 projects chosen out of more than 300 applications across the UK for a review visit in May, which is part of the detailed Living Landmarks assessment.

In August the Living Landmarks team will decide whether or not to invite the Jurassic Coast project team to submit a stage two application. The final decision on funding will not be known until September 2007 at the earliest.

The project has been submitted by Dorset County Council on behalf of the wider Jurassic Coast Partnership. The team leading the bid consists of members of the Jurassic Coast team, Dorset and Devon County Councils, East Devon and West Dorset District Councils.