A new ranger hut to be built in Yeovil Country Park has received a significant funding boost.
The Veolia Environmental Trust has awarded South Somerset District Council a sum of £90,000 towards the development.
The authority is looking to build a single-storey hut covering 250 square metres near Goldenstones Leisure Centre.
It will include an entrance foyer, educational meeting room, rangers' office, kitchen area, toilets, shower facilities and a tea room.
Katy Menday, countryside manager at the district council, said: "We are absolutely delighted that The Veolia Environmental Trust have supported our project.
"They are our major funder and we are now well on the way to our target figure.
"We have a further £90,000 to raise but we have a strategy, and with the help of our tireless friends and volunteers I know we will achieve this."
The trust gave a total of 48 grants totalling more than £1.2 million to community and environmental projects across the UK.
Through the landfill communities fund, projects in Somerset have received £154,000 in the last five years.
Sylvia Seal, portfolio holder for sports and leisure at the council, said: "This is a great step in achieving the funding required to build the ranger centre.
"We are very thankful to The Veolia Environmental Trust for their generosity in giving us this grant which will be a great asset to all residents and visitors."
Maria Cade, acting executive director of the trust, added: "We are pleased to be able to support this project and look forward to seeing it start."
In May 2010 the original application was granted permission – despite being recommended for refusal by Yeovil Town Council's planning and highways committee after councillors felt the building was "too big".
As the project did not start within a required timescale new permission had to be sought – with the renewed plans recently recommended approval by the town council.
