PENDLE Council is set to make a multi-million pound bid to transform Colne's Alkincoats Park with a "vision to both restore past glories and create a park for the future".

The council's main decision-making executive committee is being asked at its meeting next Tuesday to choose Alkincoats as the council's bid for the Parks for People funding programme.

The Parks for People programme is jointly funded from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund. Its purpose is to "enhance and promote public green spaces2 with a particular emphasis on conserving and improving the heritage value of parks.

Colne Liberal Democrat Councillor Ann Kerrigan is Pendle Council's Executive member in charge of parks and recreation.

She said: "I am really thrilled at the prospect of a massive investment in Alkincoats. This major park has always been part of what makes Colne such a good place to live and work. But like many parks it went out of fashion and it has been a bit neglected in recent decades.

"People are once again realising what a wonderful asset our urban parks really are. What is more there is a keen and active Friends of Alkincoats group and we will be working with them on the details of the bid."

The bidding process is in two stages. First the council has to win a competition for a Project Planning Grant of up to £50,000, with a deadline for applying of March 31.

"If this is successful, the planning grant will be used for a bid for the main grant of between £250,000 and £5 million - it is expected that an Alkincoats scheme would be into seven figures and the bid would have to be in by the end of September.

Coun Kerrigan said: ""There is a lot of work still to be done, but we are confident, and determined to make a really good bid and to carry out a scheme which the founders of Alkincoats park would be proud of."