EAST Lancashire is at the centre of a £100,000 initiative to earmark potential brownfield sites for development.

The North West Development Agency will use the cash to look at brownfield sites - places that have been previously developed but are now vacant - in the area and will eventually apply its findings to the whole of the North West.

The pilot study is part of the National Brownfield Strategy, which aims to improve the supply of sites for housing, employment and light industry. Parts of Greater Manchester are also included in the scheme.

The availability of brownfield land is seen as critical to the delivery of local government housing strategies.

Completion of the initial report is scheduled for late December.