THE Bacup Wall of History will be one of the first projects to benefit from a £2m scheme aimed at regenerating derelict parts of East Lancashire.

The North West Development Agency has provided £2.15m towards the Small Sites Reclamation programme for the county.

The scheme will allow the regeneration of more than 100 hectares of derelict land in a bid to improve the environmental image of some parts of the region.

The sites will be put to use for a wide variety of projects including recreational schemes, wildlife and conservation areas and educational initiatives.

The resources will be channelled to local groups in a bid to ensure the cash is spent where needed.

The Bacup Consortium, along with Groundwork Rossendale, are the first beneficiaries of the cash fund, for work on the Wall of History.

The wall, in Yorkshire Street, is made up of more than 30 date stones and other features from historical buildings that have been demolished.

However, it is almost 20 years old and has been allowed to deteriorate. The money, around £30,000, will be used to tidy the area around the wall, provide a bench, new lighting and make it more accessible. Plaques showing events from 2002 and designed by local schools will also be put in the paving next to the wall.

Murray Chalmers of Groundwork Rossendale said: "The area could be a nice place to sit for lunch or to while away the time, but it has been allowed to deteriorate a bit and this funding means we can make it a bit more amenable."

Stewart Swift, NWDA area manager for Lancashire, said: "Lancashire has more than its share of derelict , neglected and under-used land. This programme will make inroads at a local level into that legacy and we are delighted to support the county by investing in this programme."

Brian Johnson, cabinet member for Community and Regeneration at Lancashire County Council, said: "The Small Sites programme will provide an early boost to our efforts in the county to raise the level at which neglected sites are brought back into beneficial use."