DETAILED plans on how £2million of lottery cash will be spent on improving the area around Pendle Hill has been revealed.

Last October, it was announced The Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB) will run the £2 million project in a four-year scheme creating five full-time jobs and 20 apprenticeships.

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At the moment, £150,000 has been released by Heritage Lottery and if the project develops as expected the remainder of the fund will be released in September 2017 with improvement work expected in Spring 2018.

A Pendle Hill Story Map will be created including information, images and stories to develop better visitor information, tourism and business support and training for local ambassadors.

An archaeology student has been seconded to the project and work has begun to trace Roman roads and Iron Age hill forts in the vicinity of the hill.

Local history groups will undertake research on the history of houses, and developing archive and traditional building skills.

The project will restore the habitats of native species including lapwings, curlew and Dotterel and will protect peat bogs, grasslands and moorlands.

It will restore eight miles of dry stone walls and hedgerows and upgrade five miles of footpaths and walkways.

The cash will support topographical surveys, excavations, open days and community events at archaeological sites such as Portfield Hill Fort and local water mills.

A programme of educational activities will also target 20 schools and colleges in nearby towns.

Cathy Hopley, development officer at the Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership Scheme, said: “We’re looking to reconnect people with their landscape and their past, to safeguard the area’s wildlife and heritage and to improve people’s access to this popular countryside area.

“We will do this by providing opportunities for training and volunteering, by supporting research and devising digital interpretation to inspire a new generation about our heritage, by restoring important landscape features and by working with communities to re-tell the stories of radical Pendle people.”

“This programme will bring in new investment to support the environment and the economy.”

The programme is estimated to cost £2.9million and the group have secured a Stage 1 amount of £2million from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Dependant on a Stage 2 application the programme enters a delivery stage in 2018 and will run for four years.

The remaining £900,000 will be raised from partners including the Area Of Natural Beauty Partnership, statutory bodies like Natural England and Environment Agency, European Rural Development Programme funding, Landfill tax funds, local businesses and other grants.