A TEN-YEAR battle to secure funding for a new Athletics track in Hyndburn is finally over - thanks to money made from burying rubbish in the ground.

Hyndburn Council will today be told that the trust which runs leisure facilities in the borough has finally got the £500,000 needed to sort out the running track at Wilsons Playing Fields, Clayton-le-Moors.

The money has come from a variety of sources, including £136,000 from waste disposal company Sita's environmental trust and £50,000 from the Environment Agency's Landfill Tax fund, which dishes out money made out of charging councils to put rubbish in the ground.

The largest chunk of the money, £231,000, has come from the Single Regeneration Budget -- money given to East Lancashire to improve quality of life in East Lancashire.

Hyndburn Council has already committed £24,000 to the scheme, while Hyndburn Athletics Club, one of the main users of the site, has raised £5,000.

Norman Mitchell, from the club, said: "It is great news for Hyndburn that we can finally get a new track.

"We have been trying for about 10 years to get the money through lottery bids and one thing and another but have been rejected.

"Better facilities will, hopefully, encourage more people to take part in athletics and stay part of athletics for longer."

In total, the project will cost £456,500 and include a state-of-the-art track and associated facilities.

In a report to today's cabinet meeting, Coun Brian Walmsley, said: "The project addresses our priority of making improvements to parks and open spaces as well as providing opportunities for young people.

"A replacement track has been an aspiration of the council for some time, and the condition of the track has been poor for a number of years.

"The Leisure in Hyndburn Trust made an application for the outstanding £136,000 to the SITA Environmental Trust and it has been confirmed that the bid has been successful."

An official launch of the new track plans has yet to be held, and the council has pledged to keep residents informed of work as it happens.