A £1million plan to transform an Accrington park into a 40-hectare wildlife reserve is being drawn up.

The project to extend Peel Park around the Coppice, between Plantation Road and Burnley Road, aims to create a huge nature area as well as improving the parkland.

The scheme is led by Lancashire Wildlife Trust (LWT), Hyndburn Council and Lancashire County Council's Remade regeneration project.

Daveen Wallis, from LWT, said they were trying to get the site protected as an important wildlife area open to the public.

She said: "It is an area that we want people to come and visit and appreciate.

"There is already a certain amount of wildlife there and we want to improve that."

Peel Park has been identified by the Wildlife Trust as a potential Local Nature Reserve, qualifying it for grant aid, and if the scheme is successful it will become the largest LNR in Lancashire.

LNRs are places with wildlife or geological features that are of special interest locally.

Peel Park includes the Coppice, which has views across Accrington.

Deer can be found in the southern areas of the site around Arden Hall along with a range of urban wildlife.

Peel Park is already popular with walkers but it is hoped that by increasing its size and improving unattractive areas people will come from across the region to visit.

Public access and footpaths are set to be improved, there will be landscaping and tree planting as well as making it a more habitable place for wildlife.

Officers at Hyndburn Council have taken the first step in applying for a grant to fund a study into the wildlife at the site.

Roy Halliday from Remade said: "The proposals would aim to increase the number of people using the site, by improving the quality of the footpath network, signs and visitor information.

"There is potential to improve existing paths within the site and to provide improved links to the Coppice and Accrington town centre."

The enlarged park will include open moorland, reservoirs and deep valleys.

Local councillor Graham Jones has been campaigning for improvements at the site.

He said: "It is fantastic news for Hyndburn and shows what can be done to an area if you are prepare to work hard."