Thousands of pounds could be pumped into sprucing up the listed Savoy Court Hotel in Eastbourne.

Work to repair the three interconnecting five storey houses in Cavendish Place would cost almost £89,000.

But thanks to the Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme (Hers), almost half could come in the form of a grant, if proposals to hand over the £49,644 are approved by members of the Eastbourne Borough Council cabinet committee this evening.

Balconies on the first floor have decayed and lost their decorative canopies. Railings on the balconies and at street level need replacing.

Windows need repairing and those fitted out of character with the 150-year-old building could be replaced with a set of sash windows.

The Hers programme was set up in July 2001 and has a life span of three years.

It has a pot of money totalling £370,000 to spend on helping to regenerate the Seaside Road area of Eastbourne.

Jefferson Collard, the council's development planning manager, said: "Although a grant of almost £50,000 sounds a significant sum, the grant per property is only £16,548.06, which is relatively small compared to the £25,000 ceiling per property delegated to officers."

Officers at Eastbourne Borough Council have the power to commission grants of up to £25,000, but larger proposals, such as Savoy Court Hotel, need members' approval.

The hotel, a grade two listed building, is in a reasonable condition but needs work to restore it to its former glory, as part of the Earl of Burlington's original estate in Eastbourne.

It was built in the 1850s and sits prominently in the Seaside Road area.

It had been designated as high priority by staff working on the Hers programme.

The meeting takes place at the town hall at 6pm.