A DEDICATED mum says work will soon begin on her son's dream holiday home for sick children and their families.

Permission to build the house in memory of nine-year-old Ascot boy Sebastian Gates was granted last September but in the past year numerous planning rules and regulations have had to be tackled before building can begin.

Sebastian's Action Trust, the charity set up in Sebastian's honour, has endured a frustrating 12 months waiting for legal and planning requirements to be fulfilled.

However Sebastian's mum, Jane, said she hoped building work would start in November.

She said: "As Sebastian's mother and Director of this charity I am passionately committed to seeing this project through and will do whatever it takes to ensure that the holiday house is built as quickly as possible.

"I share the frustrations of our supporters who are so keen to see Sebastian's wish finally realised and my meeting with the prospective ground workers this week will, I hope, pave the way for building work to start within the next two months." The first hurdle faced was to ratify an agreement restricting the use of the land in North Waltham, Hampshire to charitable purposes, which was signed off by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council on February 18 - on what would have been Sebastian's 15th birthday.

In March the land on which the holiday house will be built was formally transferred from benefactor Patrick Sweeney to the trust and then the council began to accept submissions from the trust in addressing the 17 pre-commencement conditions which must be discharged by the council before construction can begin.

Mrs Gates said: "We need to comply with all the planning and legal regulations imposed by the council and as a role model for other charities, that we hope will seek to emulate what we are trying to achieve in other parts of the country, it is important that we can show we have gone about things the right way." Building the £850,000 house was the dying wish of Sebastian who died on Christmas Eve 2003 after battling cancer and the centre will be available to families with seriously-ill children 365 days a year so they can spend precious time away together, free of charge.

Mrs Gates said: "It is important to remember though that while the last year has been incredibly frustrating in terms of the build, we have achieved a huge amount through the practical support initiatives we have established working with our local hospitals helping families whose children have life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses. "Our first priority is to build this special holiday house but we continue to strive to find new ways to help families who need our support now."