A £500,000 plan to encourage people to leave their cars at home and get on their bikes is being developed by the town council.

The four-year scheme, which will see the development of a comprehensive network of cycle paths in the borough, is being supported by Sustrans, the charity behind the National Cycle Network.

Although the plan is in the early stages, the borough council has secured £100,000 of funding from Sustrans with a further £100,000 promised from Lancashire County Council.

Burnley Borough Council are also seeking further funding from other sources for more than £200,000 over the next four years.

Work has started on a draft map of the proposed routes, along with negotiations with relevant land owners who may be affected by the development of cycle paths.

David Wood, head of Engineering Services at Burnley Borough Council, said: "At the moment we are in the process of producing an outline plan for a cycling strategy for the next four years, although a lot more detail will be required."

He said regular updates on the progress of the strategy would be presented to councillors over the next few months.

Burnley's new Mayor Gordon Birtwistle, himself a keen cyclist, today welcomed the plans, saying: "It's a superb idea because we are short of cycle paths in Burnley, but have a lot of cyclists.

"Anything that can be done to improve safety for cyclists has got to be welcomed, and it will also help the environment and keep people fit."

Peter Foster, spokesman for Sustrans, said: "We want to help develop cycle networks in Lancashire and Burnley is leading the way in making them a realistic proposition."