PENDLE is bidding for millions of pounds of government cash to boost health and safety in the towns and revitalise the borough's struggling rural communities.

Pendle Partnership, the consortium of public and private group, is hoping it can be third time lucky in getting Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) money after successful bids in 1995 and 1997 which led to a £62 million investment.

This year the group is submitting two bids, one to cover the urban areas in the borough and the other for the regeneration of rural areas.

The urban bid for £4 million of SRB cash, which would attract a £12.5 million total investment package, would provide money for communities to tackle issues such as health, community safety and environmental improvements.

The rural bid, which is for a similar amount and investment, is being submitted in a unique partnership with Ribble Valley and Lancaster, the county council and East Lancashire Partnership. The money would be targeted in areas that have suffered decline and need help.

Pendle Partnership chairman, Dennis Mendoros, said: "The partnership's SRB bid is all about raising the confidence of communities so that they themselves are able to bring about change.

"By doing so local people will have the power to identify and tackle many important issues."

Pendle Council leader, Alan Davies, added: "This year's SRB bidding process is unique because we have been given the opportunity by the Government to submit a rural as well as an urban bid. One of the partnership's main objectives is to promote sustainable regeneration throughout the borough and a successful bid for SRB funding would help provide us with the support to achieve these aims."

The Government said 80 per cent of the SRB pot will only be available to areas which are among the 65 most deprived in the country. As Pendle is not among them it can only bid for the remaining 20 per cent of the money. But because it has been identified by the Government as an area of rural decline the partnership feels it has a better chance of winning its rural bid than its urban one.

The outline bids have to be with the Government Office North West in Manchester by November 27.

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