AMBITIOUS plans have been unveiled for a £250,000 community centre to serve the village of Cliviger.

The RACA Backers - Recreation Area Cliviger Appeal - worked for four years to develop a former Lancashire County Highways site off Park Road into an attractive recreation area and bowling green.

They raised £27,599 within two-and-a-half years and Burnley Council agreed to fund the rest.

RACA chairman Jackie Hodgson and member Karen Hayes have won a grant from the Onyx Environmental Trust, which allocates money reclaimed by the Government from the Customs and Excise land fill tax, to complete the club house for the bowlers to use.

And now Jackie and Karen, who are also both members of CRACA, Cliviger Recreation and Community Association, are switching their efforts to develop a community centre in Mount Lane.

Jackie said: "RACA could only raise money for Park Road so we formed CRACA so we could help the rest of the village. Last year we gave the school £1,500 and we are working towards developing the Mount Lane site.

"We want to build a £250,000 community centre for the whole village to enjoy and make use of, the football teams, the school and the local residents. The centre will be able to accommodate 250 people.

"We are confident we will be able to obtain funding and CRACA member Dave Morgan has been negotiating on our behalf for the money.

"We are now in the design stage and we are looking for five or six architects to apply for the contract to work with us on the building the centre. We want to keep the project local."

Architects can write to Jackie at 18 Thanet Lee Close, Cliviger, Burnley BB10 4UE.

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