PLANS to transform Wentworth Woodhouse into a world-class visitor attraction will be unveiled at Downing Street next week.

The charitable trust which now owns the Grade I listed Georgian house will launch its masterplan at a reception hosted at 11 Downing Street with the permission of Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer, on Monday.

The plan aims to make Wentworth Woodhouse as famous as in its 18th century heyday, when it was on a par with Chatsworth House and Blenheim Palace.

It was Mr Hammond who awarded a grant of £7.6m to Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust in his Autumn 2016 Statement.

The money was for vital roof repairs to stop damage to the magnificently-decorated rooms created from 1735 by the Marquess of Rockingham and the Earls of Fitzwilliam.

Now, the trust aims to awaken the house from its slumber with a range of schemes detailed in the 220-page masterplan.

The document is the result of a year spent gathering and examining workable schemes, advice from heritage experts and the opinions of 1,500 members of the public who took part in the consultation process.

It aims to restore and protect Grade I and Grade II listed features and ensure the house and its estate flourishes financially so its future is never threatened again.

The complex restoration work will itself become an attraction, and visitors will be able to witness work as it takes place and talk to restoration teams on hard-hat tours.

The house will also boast an artisan construction school to up-skill people in heritage and restoration construction and lead to the creation of its own skilled workforce.

Julie Kenny, chairman of the preservation trust, said: “The Chancellor’s invitation for us to unveil our plans is testament to the huge national significance of what is arguably Britain’s greatest restoration project for a generation, and its solid cross-party support.

“The masterplan is the start of an exciting journey, a catalyst for change for the people whose lives the trust touches and the communities we serve. For three centuries the house was the hub of social and economic life across South Yorkshire and we intend to make it so once again.”