A derelict cottage could be turned into a dream home with a little imagination and several thousand pounds.

The crumbling three-bedroom building, situated on the Downs near Southease, Lewes, is part of the Glyndebourne Estate.

Trustees have gained planning permission to change the late Victorian building into a more modern house but are leaving it up to potential tenants to design it.

Successful applicants will have to pay about half the costs of rebuilding the property with the other half coming from the estate.

The project is being advertised through Lewes-based estate agents Strutt and Parker.

Agent James Youatt estimated the house could cost between £100,000 and £200,000 to design and build.

He said: "We first started advertising two weeks ago and have had masses of interest because it's in an area where planning permission will be virtually impossible otherwise.

"People are looking at it as a retirement home and a family home.

"We have taken down the details of about 30 or 40 interested parties."

The house will fall into the boundaries of the soon-to-be-created national park.

It will remain the property of the trust but arrangements are expected to be made for tenants to take out a long-term lease.