RESIDENTS in areas of Colne are hoping to benefit from a new government scheme that could bring £7.6million into the area for services such as cleansing, housing and leisure.

The Pendle Borough has been identified as one of 83 authorities eligible for the Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Fund and has been invited to put forward a bid.

Minister for Local Government and the Regions, Hilary Armstrong, said: "The eligible areas contain a range of differing neighbourhoods, urban and rural, with large ethnic minority and/or faith populations. In the Pathfinder round we want to work with as many different types of neighbourhoods and communities as possible."

The fund, which totals £45million over three years, will be shared among 15 areas. With the backing of Pendle Partnership, Pendle is hopeful of a favourable decision to their bid which will go before government ministers in April.

If the bid is successful it will target the improvement of services in the wards of Vivary Bridge and Waterside, in Colne, and an area of Marsden in Nelson. It would also include the appointment of a Neighbourhood manager who would be accountable to the local community and charged with the task of getting the most out of existing programmes and funding.

Pendle Partnership chairman, Dennis Mendoros, said: "The Partnership gives its full backing to this bid, which will improve the quality of life for residents living in the deprived areas.

"The Pathfinder fund focuses on specific neighbourhoods and will have a positive effect."