A NELSON neighbourhood has finalised its plans to spend almost £1 million of lottery funding.

The Bradley ward, which includes Nelson and Colne College and Pendle Community Hospital, received the grant from the Big Lottery Fund in 2012.

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It was just one of eight areas in the North West, including Gannow, in Burnley, to win the cash.

Consultation with residents has resulted in a new 10-year Community Action Plan which aims to leave ‘a lasting legacy for future generations’.

Kathryn Bryan, vice-chair of Bradley Big Local, said: “We’re keen to get things moving quickly now and hope to have our programme support worker in post by early June.

“We’re already making good progress on improving the play facilities at Hodge House and improving access for parents dropping off their children at the back of Bradley Primary School.”

The Community Action Plan focuses on five themes: programme support, community wealth, community land trust, community housing, and recreation.

The project includes proposals to improve the range of housing stock by bringing empty properties back into use and developing a community-based management and lettings agency.

Mrs Bryan said: “The action plan is the result of a lot of hard work by members of the Big Local Partnership, which is made up of people who live and work in Bradley.

“Together we’ve sought to identify what makes Bradley such a great place to live and what would make it even better.

“This will leave a legacy for future generations of Bradley.”

A family fun day to celebrate the adoption of the plan will take place at Hodge House Community Centre, in Regent Street, from 11am to 3pm on Saturday, May 23.

Tony Mullin, Big Local representative for Bradley, said: “It’s fantastic that local communities can have a leading role in making decisions about how to improve their area and tackle problems.

“Residents are better able to identify local needs and ways to take action in response to them.”

A Bradley Big Local newsletter will be written and sent to households in the ward by the end of May.