A BID for £12 million worth of investment to tackle youth unemployment has got past its first hurdle.

The application by Pendle will now be polished up and re-submitted to the Government for the second stage of the process.

It was one of only three in Lancashire to get through the initial stage of the bidding battle.

A more detailed bid has to be drawn up and re-submitted by January 16, and a final decision is expected by March.

Pendle Council leader Alan Davies said young people in the area could give " a whoop of joy" at the good news that Pendle had been chosen from bids across the North West.

"This is brilliant news for the young people of our area and if we get the scheme it will be brilliant news for the whole community," he said.

"It is further proof that Pendle is a good and go-ahead authority and that the council has some excellent partners from all sections of the community." The Youth Focus bid for Single Regeneration Budget cash is being driven by Pendle Partnership, a consortium of public and private sector groups.

A previous similar but more widespread bid for cash to help the area's youth was unsuccessful.

But the Partnership is keeping its fingers crossed that this time it will get the much-needed cash boost.

The aim is to get £2.7 million of Government cash that would attract a further £9.2 million of private and European investment.

The money would be spent on projects aimed at boosting jobs and training for young people.

They would include more Modern Apprenticeship schemes, intensive support for young people finding it difficult to settle into work with help for firms willing to taken them on, a self-build housing scheme to provide construction training, and support for young entrepreneurs wanting to set up on their own.

While unemployment as a whole in Pendle is just four per cent, one in three of those out of work are aged between 16 and 24. The borough is the second top youth unemployment blackspot in the county.

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