ENVIRONMENTALISTS are claiming victory after Pendle Council unveiled plans to make Trawden Forest a Conservation Area.

Friends of the Earth and local residents have already been successful in getting the protected status for Winewall and Trawden in a 12-year battle.

Now they say the proposal for Trawden Forest is the missing link in preserving the whole area and fending off developments.

The council is consulting residents over the plans, which can be viewed at Colne and Nelson Town Halls, Trawden and Colne Libraries or on website www.pendle.gov.uk/conservation.

FoE co-ordinator for Pendle, Brian Jackson, said: "For a number of reasons I think conservation status is a good thing and most people would agree.

"It's certainly a major step in the direction of stopping this area being turned into a tatty development area. If it works all right, which it will if it's applied sensibly, it will be a victory for a lot of people.

"They can live in a nice place that's not clogged up with traffic and has some good amenities and is attractive to visitors. Now we need to link the two and make the whole of Trawden and Winewall a conservation area,"

added Mr Jackson

Council conservation officer Rosemary Lyons said: "The council has legal powers to designate Conservation Areas. This would be the 25th Conservation Area in Pendle if councillors decide to designate it."

Residents have until October 28 to make their views known.