BURNLEY got the go-ahead to go green as the Millennium Commission today handed it a £1.77 million grant to create a new forest in the town.

The jackpot payout of National Lottery cash means the massive £3.5 million project to celebrate the new century with more than a million new trees, is sure to take root.

The announcement means celebration time for town hall chiefs who masterminded the unique bid which captured the imagination of the London Commission.

They harnessed public and business support and gave an assurance that if they got the green light every child in the town would have the opportunity to plant a tree of their own.

They raised an 8,000-name supporting petition and got major backing from organisations like the Forestry Commission, Wildlife Advisory Group, the National Farmers Union and North West Water.

The plan will see more than 500 hectares of new community woodland planted in several locations and a further 200 hectares of existing neglected woodland brought back under active management.

It will create 40 new jobs and provide an "urban Arboretum" of 2,000 specimen trees within the urban area of town.

A special arts and education programme will be set up to complement the practical aspects of the project.

Schools and a host of local organisations will have parts to play ensuring the Forest involves the whole community.

The project will also mark a major turn-around for a once tree-dominated town where now woodland covers only three per cent of the borough - with a recent survey revealing only a fifth of this is in healthy condition.

Council leader Kath Reade said the award was tremendous news.

"It will be one of the largest environmental projects of its kind in the country and will create a legacy of new woodlands which will be enjoyed for many generations to come."

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