Countryside management projects
The Borough Council is working in partnership with many other organisations, community groups and businesses, to deliver a number of projects across the borough and within the local region. This page provides further information about the projects that are currently being carried out and what benefits will be delivered as a result.
The Borough Council is currently running a number of environmental regeneration projects across the Borough which aim to conserve and enhance the local environment and provide more accessible areas for the community to use and enjoy.
Environmental regeneration involves working in partnership with a wide range of external companies and organisations in order to seek funding opportunities for local environmental improvement schemes including green corridors, for example woodland and hedgerow creation, green transport links such as new footpaths and cycle tracks, cleaning up contaminated land and maximising public amenity by ensuring public open spaces are fully accessible to all visitors. This involves building partnerships and working closely with landowners, community and voluntary groups, businesses and other local and government authorities.
River Lostock Country Park - this is an ambitious project that aims to provide a linear park along the River Lostock valley to bring about wildlife and environmental benefits as well as public recreation and off-road access routes. Through a network of cycleways and bridle paths, the ultimate aim is to provide access from Worden Park in Leyland into Cuerden Valley Park, near Chorley.
Community Woodlands - since 2003 over 20 hectares of land have been transformed into 16 new woodlands, reducing the number of fragmented or isolated habitats and enhancing the effectiveness of wildlife corridors within the Borough. This project, which saw the planting of over 67,000 trees, was a success thanks to the support and involvement of the local community including funding from local businesses and the help of many voluntary, charity and school groups.
Ribble Estuary Regional Park - Partner organisations across Lancashire are jointly developing a regional park across a wide area either side of the River Ribble Estuary. The project seeks to unite a number of existing visitor attractions, projects and quality countryside areas together with a programme of new projects to improve facilities and attractions for environmental recreation and conservation. A marketing strategy is being developed together with new projects that include creating a new nature reserve for birds on Hesketh Outmarsh, a feasibility study on a new crossing over the River Douglas, and raising the awareness of the National Nature Reserve which covers an International SSSI.
