A MILLION trees will be planted across Burnley in a £3 million plan to celebrate the year 2000.

The team behind the plan were celebrating this week after being told they had won a £1.7 million National Lottery grant to help fund the project.

The Millennium Commission, which hands out lottery cash, says the Forest of Burnley scheme is one of the most exciting in the country.

Eight-thousand people in borough signed a petition to show their support for the plans, which were drawn up by Burnley council, North West Water, the Forest Authority and local landowners and conservation groups.

Jubilant council leader Kath Reade said: "I was hopping up and down with excitement when I heard the news. It's what a lot of us come into politics to do. We want to make a difference for future generations."

The plan will see 10 trees planted for every one of Burnley's 100,000 inhabitants.

Two thousand rare species will be planted in urban areas, and a total of 1,250 acres of new woodland will be created. Existing woods will also be better maintained.

Burnley's tree-coverage - which was reduced to just three per cent during the industrial revolution - will be increased to around the national average of 10 per cent. The look of the area could be transformed in as little as 20 years.

"It's a brilliant scheme, one which will make a huge difference to people's lives," said David Bland of North West Water, which owns much of the land where trees will be planted, including the two biggest sites at Clowbridge and Worsthorne, both measuring more than 250 acres.

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