PLANS to boost the local economy and encourage new business into a market town will gain a worldwide footing this week when a new community website goes live.

Padiham Life will initially focus on the Market Town Initiative funded by the Countryside Agency but eventually aims to become a hive of information for everything about the area.

The news comes just a week after Padiham's Shuttleworth Mead business park was hailed a huge success after financial administration company Homeloan revealed it would expand into a new unit and create up to 600 new jobs.

The bosses of the industrial estate also revealed they could fill Shuttleworth Mead twice over because of its location.

Now the padihamlife.co.uk site, designed and sponsored by Hudtek, will encourage all local traders to get involved in the area's prosperity by including their own information, joining the business directory or advertising online.

Project manager Paula Smith said: "Encouraging new business to the town is a main priority.

"The website will allow national and international companies to see the potential in this area.

"It will also give an insight into the vision we have for the town."

As part of the launch on Friday, March 21, visitors to the site will be able to compete for a state-of-the-art stereo donated by electrical retailer Harry Garlick.

Paula said: "The website is the first of many tools that will look at the communicating to the people that matter.

"There is going to be a lot of work taking place over the course of the project.

"It is very important to keep everybody as up to date as possible."