ECOLOGISTS are taking a long hard look at whether Bury's wildlife and environment is thriving or suffering.

The survey, the first of its kind for ten years, could play a key role in saving certain sites from the bulldozers.

It should identify which nationally-important habitats exist in the borough and their current state of health.

Information from the last survey, carried out by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, has been used as a baseline in determining planning issues ever since.

Councillor Wayne Campbell, Bury Council's environment chairman, said that a ten-year gap between surveys allowed for sound comparisons in seeing how habitats had changed.

He added that the new survey coincided with the review of the borough's Unitary Development Plan, and may identify sites which require protection against development.

"We are keen to protect wildlife and the natural environment and these form a major consideration in the planning authority's assessment of development proposals," he said.

The survey will be carried out by consultants from the Environment Partnership using classification methods recommended by English Nature, the Government's advisers on nature conservation.

The results of the survey, which will be computer-mapped, should be available by the end of the year.