PEOPLE and organisations in Pendle are invited to bid for a slice of £400,000 to improve the environment along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Projects to improve the area through Nelson, Brierfield and Whitefield could receive funding as part of the Canal Corridor Initiative supported by Pendle Council, Pendle Partnership and British Waterways.

Interested people are invited to attend an advice surgery at the Pendle Village Mill tea rooms in Brierfield, on Wednesday, between 2.30pm and 4pm, to discuss any project ideas and how to apply for grants. Environmental regeneration along the canal will be kick-started with a £400,000 grant from Pendle Partnership but this could unlock ten times as much money from partners such as British Waterways, the Environment Agency and local businesses.

Canal improvements could attract shops, bars and leisure facilities and boost tourism and jobs.

Representatives from the canal scheme want to hear from current and potential users of

the canal area, such as cyclists, walkers, anglers, boaters, allotment groups, gardeners or environmentalists.

Bids for funding from the Canal Corridor Initiative, will be overseen by a stakeholder group involving the council, Pendle Partnership and British Waterways.