THE regeneration of the sprawling former Bickershaw Colliery site has been given a major boost.

A further 192 hectares (474 acres) are being added to English Partnerships' National Coalfields Programme which has a £385m budget.

The Plank Lane pit site is one of 10 newly announced by Jeff Rooker, Regeneration Minister, at the Coalfield Communities Campaign annual conference in Salford.

Regeneration plans for Bickershaw North are already being developed by NWDA (North West Development Agency) and Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council. The northern half of the site has been partly restored and replanted although extensive work is required on the southern part, which features several untreated mineshafts, a slurry lagoon and man-made mountains.

Plans are to cap untreated shafts, regrade and plant on the rucks, landscaping and public footpath creation.

"This will result in public open space with opportunities for both passive and active leisure," say English Partnerships.

Mr Rooker told delegates that the National Coalfields Programme would be given greater flexibility in the way it uses its £385million funding to support the rebuilding of coalfield communities which suffered widespread economic, environmental and social deprivation following pit closures.

Closures

He said: "I am delighted to announce the inclusion of these 10 new sites to our National Coalfields Programme. The regeneration of areas that have been blighted by pit closures is essential to the economy and well-being of the community.

"English Partnerships' programme is making a real difference to the lives of coalfield communities. By bringing derelict and contaminated land back into productive use, delivering jobs, homes and quality open space, there can and will be a sustainable future for these areas."

The National Coalfields Programme is managed by English Partnerships, the regeneration agency for England, in conjunction with Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). With the 10 new sites, the Programme now encompasses some 4,000 hectares across a total of 98 former coalfield sites.

Ambitious targets nationwide include aims to create:

40,000 job opportunities on former coalfields

2,000,000 square metres of commercial floorspace

6,500 homes

£1billion private sector investment

Projects within the Programme include coastal reclamation, housing developments, retail and commercial centres and forests and parks. There are sites throughout England, although the majority fall within Yorkshire, the East Midlands and the North East.