BURNLEY has been given a lottery windfall of £312,884 to make the town a safer, cleaner and greener place for people to live.

The money will be used to build a partnership between the local council and community groups and organisations to make improvements to the town.

Almost £12 million has been poured into schemes across 13 areas of the North West by the New Opportunities Fund. The money is to be used for a pioneering scheme -- Fairshare: Transforming Your Space which will improve amenities in Burnley.

Organisers of the fund said the cash would help address an East Lancashire Lottery imbalance.

A report said the region is among Britain's biggest losers when it comes to funds being given to good causes. Nationally £191 per person is handed out, but in Burnley that figure drops to £107. Chief executive of the New Opportunities Fund, Stephen Dunmore, said: "This scheme will help improve the most disadvantaged areas in the North West that have not yet received their fair share of Lottery funding.

"The awards will help improve the quality of local environments by transforming public and green spaces that are important to communities.

"This programme aims to enhance the quality of life of local communities and promote healthier lifestyles."

The council's executive member for regeneration, councillor Roger Frost said: "This grant is a wonderful opportunity that will enable the council to carry out improvements which local people have been asking for."

"It will link with existing initiatives and have the potential to carry out schemes which could not otherwise have been funded in areas of need across the whole borough."