THREE projects to improve access to an urban woodland are set to go ahead.

They will cost up to £30,000 between them.

The Friends of Sunnyhurst Wood in Darwen have raised the cash for the schemes with the aid of a donation from environmental charity The Banister Trust.

The projects will go ahead as the Darwen Town Deal Board considers the group's eight-point masterplan.

Dougie Wright, chair of The Friends of Sunnyhurst Wood said: "We have picked out three projects that will improve access to the wood.

"The first is the Falcon Avenue gates.They will be removed from site, stripped, cleaned and repaired where necessary.

"They will then be galvanised to improve durability. The gates will be painted with a specialist vinyl paint in council colours. The stone pillars supporting the gates will be cleaned and any cutting back of trees/bushes carried out.

"The second is the disabled entrance on Earnsdale Road.

"A section of this entrance will have new curb stones installed and existing ones reset or repaired. A new layer of tarmac will cover the existing ones to restore the path back to its full width.

"This will enable better disabled access to the wood.

"The third is the marble bridge path

"This path has become a major problem over the last couple of years due to the bank of the stream collapsing. When there is heavy rainfall the stream overflows, turning the path into a quagmire.

"A section of the stream will be dredged and widened to allow better water flow. The banking along the path side will be raised and topped with existing coping stones. A damaged section of path will be repaired."

Darwen West ward's Cllr Brian Taylor said: "The parks in Darwen are a great asset past down from our Victorian forebears. It is good to see that the Friends of Sunnyhurst Wood doing all that they can to maintain and repair the woods for the enjoyment of residents and visitors."