A HUGE project to create a 'green' business park with its own power and heating supply could create new jobs for Hyndburn.

Now the environmental scheme -- one of only three of its kind -- has won backing from campaign group Friends of the Earth, and been welcomed by a local councillor.

Local charity the Prospects Foundation has agreed a price for land on Coach Road Meadows, Oswaldtwistle, where it will set up the park, and the deal is now in the hands of solicitors.

Once the go-ahead is given, the park is set to be about 11 acres in size.

Phil Barwood, vice-chairman of the Foundation, said: "The idea is to run the business park as a social enterprise which will provide employment for a lot of people and hopefully income for the Prospects Foundation.

"The Green Business Park idea is to create a business location, but one environmentally friendly in its design, establishment and management."

The park's electricity may be supplied by wind power, and heating could come from a wood-chip boiler.

Frank Kennedy, of Friends of the Earth North West, said: "It sounds a good idea. There are two aspects -- green business as in makers of products and services which are green in themselves, and then there is green business in the sense of keeping your impact on the environment to a minimum in the way you go about your daily work."

A feasibility study for the park has just been carried out, and the results will be published shortly.

Once the sale is completed, Prospects will be looking for grants and commercial investment, will then appoint a project manager, and once a business plan and funding is in place, development will start.

Once complete it will be one of only three similar sites in the UK, including parks in Nottingham and Wales.

Prospects are hoping to move out of their current base in Hyndburn Council's offices, and onto the new park, and have also been working with residents overlooking the site on plans to upgrade the terraced housing.

Mr Barwood said: "The ownership and management of the business park would be a Prospects enterprise but the units on the site would let to tenants. We would like to encourage green businesses but that is not always the case.

"They would be offered on the open market as industrial units."

Coun Brian Walmsley, St Andrew's representative, said: "There is no doubt I would welcome the plans."