MORE than £650,000 is to be spent on cycling routes for children to get to school.

Cash from the Department of Education and Skills and cycling charity Sustrans will be used to fund projects across the county.

One of the main schemes is £133,000 towards creating a link from a proposed greenway' along the Brun Valley in Burnley to Sir John Thursby College, Eastern Avenue.

And £45,000 will help install a link from the Hyndburn Greenway to the Hollins Technology College, Hollins Lane, Accrington.

It is hoped that the schemes will help improve the environment and children's health - and unclog roads.

Council chiefs have identified a number of schemes to be funded.

In the Ribble Valley council chiefs are con-sidering crossing options of Preston Road for Longridge High, a pedestrian crossing on Well Terrace to Clitheroe Grammar, and improving access to Salesbury Pri-mary School and Bowland High.

In Hyndburn, St John with St Augustine has applied for a number of improved crossings in the area. Sacred Heart also wants better pedestrian paths. St Peter and Paul's wants a new school entrance, and Rishton Norden High School has applied for a new link between the canal towpath and the school removing the necessity to cross Harwood Road.

Rosegrove Nursery, Burn-ley wants a footway to a new pedestrian entrance.

In Pendle, Salterforth Primary School has asked for a footlink between North Holme and the school and Barrowford Primary School wants an improved footway alongside Gisburn Road.

In Rossendale, Staghills Nursery has applied for an improved footway to help pushchair users.

Coun Tony Martin, cabinet member for sus-tainable development, said: "There seems to be no end of exciting cycling projects in Lancashire and now schools are able to get in on the act."