Funds for wood faces deadline

Residents living in and around Fence, have been told the owner of a nine-acre field next to the village's Pendle Forest Sports Club is willing to sell the land. But the Woodland Trust, the group behind the scheme, said the offer was only open until January.

Between now and then the group, which manages woods across the country for public use, has to raise enough money to finance the Fence scheme.

The project is part of the Trust's 'Woods on Your Doorstep' national scheme to create 200 new woods to celebrate the new millennium. The Fence site would be planted with native broad-leaved trees and be open for public use.

The scheme has already attracted financial backing from a charitable trust and the Millennium Commission will match pound for pound everything the Woodland Trust can raise, up to a maximum of about £26,650. But a public meeting held last night at the village's primary school was told local residents would have to raise £11,090 themselves by January 23.

Leaflets and pledge forms are to be distributed to the 600-plus homes in the village, as well as to local shops and firms, in the hope that enough money will be donated to push the project forward.

If it does go ahead, residents will be invited to help design the wood and plant the first trees. They will also get the chance to name the area.

Judith Stuttard, regional fund-raising officer of the Trust, said: "We have already approached Pendle Council who are behind the idea, although it's not clear yet whether it can provide any cash support.

"The priority at the moment is to get local people behind the scheme and generate enthusiasm for it in the village. We need to make sure that everyone knows about the idea. Then we can go to other groups like local firms, tell them people want this wood and see if they can help out."

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