A DERELICT wasteland could be transformed into an educational wildlife area if cash backing for the ambitious project can be found.

Councillors agreed to allow local schools to use the site off Hill Street, Colne, as a base for environmental studies.

The hope is that the Pendle Council-owned eyesore site, which is used as a dumping ground for rubbish, will become a valuable resource area for youngsters.

Lionel Howarth, head of nearby West Street Primary School which is taking a lead in the scheme, said: "The council caught us a bit by surprise. We were expecting them to allow us to use a piece of the land but they said we could use it all.

"It's a sizeable area and it will take some time and money to turn it into a wildlife area.

"If it could be tidied up and used by the children it would be far better. It's in a fairly derelict part of the town and the site itself is just a wasteland. It will probably need to be taken back to soil and then developed piece by piece. "We are currently drawing up a timetable for the project and looking to develop it section by section."

Mr Howarth said the success of the scheme will depend largely on whether backing can be found, through grants or sponsorship for example.

Parents of children at the school are also helping organise the project and a progress meeting is due to be held in February.

The steeply sloping site was previously used for grazing but it became too difficult to keep animals on and has been left to lie unused for more than a decade.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.