Millennium Celebrations (East Lancashire)

HC Deb 02 June 1997 vol 295 cc29-30W

Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what millennium celebrations are planned for east Lancashire. [1205]

Mr. Chris Smith

The Government expect that individuals and communities throughout the country will wish to organise their own celebrations to mark the Millennium, and I am sure there will be many such events in east Lancashire. The Millennium Commission has funded a number of projects in east Lancashire. These include the South Meadow Lane Centre in Preston, which has been awarded a grant of £1, 640,000; the Ribble Link project to create a new 5-mile stretch of canal linking some of the remaining green spaces in Preston, which has been awarded grant of £2,700,000; and the Forest of Burnley project, which has been awarded grant of £1,775,549.

The Commission has also funded umbrella projects covering the whole of the UK, such as the National Cycle Network, Millennium Greens and 21st Century Halls. Ten Churches in east Lancashire have reached stage two of the Church Floodlighting Trust, including St. Peter and St. Paul in Blackburn and St. James in Altham.