A FARM in Burnley has been awarded £28,000 from The Forestry Commission to create a family-focussed woodland experience and encourage tourism.

Dunnockshaw Farm will get the money from a Forestry Commission Woodland Creation Grant (WCG), to transform land formerly used for dairy farming into a native broadleaves woodlands, as a visitor leisure attraction.

The new 12-hectare woodland will help to increase and nurture the site's flora and fauna, improve the landscape of the area and increase visitor numbers to the farm. It will also give shelter to anglers during wetter months.

Geoff Riley, owner of the Burnley Road farm which has been in the same family for six generations, said: "Being awarded the grant is great news.

"Establishing new woodland here will provide a refuge for wildlife and a place to picnic for local people and tourists.

"The fishing lodges have contributed a great deal to our business and helped us achieve a fourfold increase in turnover in the last three years.

"The new woodland will provide shelter for visiting anglers and make the area more aesthetically pleasing."

Russ Collins, woodland officer for Lancashire, said: "The WCG scheme was set up with exactly this kind of project in mind."