Plans have been submitted for a patch of land used for agriculture to be turned into a nature reserve for the community to enjoy.

Philip Riley, of Pendle Council, lodged the application last month, seeking to turn Gib Hill, above Nelson and Colne, into a nature reserve.

The application comes after councillors at a policy and resources meeting agreed to a change of use of the land, which is owned by Pendle Council.

Council leader Cllr Nadeem Ahmed said then: “Local nature reserves are for people and for wildlife and offer our community the chance to learn about nature or simply to enjoy it.

“The next step is for the council to work in partnership to develop a declaration document and management plan and submit it to Natural England.”

Councillors agreed the Gib Hill Working Group would take on the management of the reserve once it was designated.

This group includes councillors, representatives from Lancashire Wildlife Trust, campaigners Hillside Heroes, other nature reserve friends’ groups and Nelson and Colne Town Councils.

An application form submitted to the council reveals there will be no parking on the land, to the south east of Fisher More school and to the north west of Marsden Golf Course. But the reserve will be open and accessible 24 hours a day and additional litter bins will be sited throughout.

Last year Cllr Ash Sutcliffe, who chairs the Gib Hill Working Group, said: “Gib Hill is highly valued by local people and has meadows which are of Biological Heritage Status which means they are of great importance to wildlife. It totally fits the bill to become a Local Nature Reserve.”

The council’s green spaces and landscape maintenance teams will be involved in making improvements on Gib Hill and a new bridge has already been installed, with help from volunteers.

Anyone who’d like to volunteer some of their time for projects on Gib Hill, or in other green spaces in Pendle, is asked to contact the council’s parks department.