Community Forests Northwest (CFN) has been handed £539,300 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) towards the acquisition of Lightshaw Meadows, near Wigan.

The funding will help the organisation to preserve the area's wetland landscape in partnership with the Red Rose Forest, the Environment Agency and Lancashire Wildlife Trust. Public access is set to be introduced to the Site of Special Scientific Interest, while volunteer opportunities will be created to allow local residents to get involved with the future management of the area.

Forming part of the Wigan Flashes between Wigan and Leigh, the meadows provide a legacy from the region's industrial past, having been created by flooding caused by shallow-mining subsidence. HLF North West head Sara Hilton said: "The effect of shallow-mining on the landscape has resulted in a mosaic of different habitats that are home to species that are in decline elsewhere, making a huge contribution to the biodiversity of the UK as a whole.

"The conservation of the site will ensure that the meadows can be enjoyed by local people for many generations to come." Red Rose Forest director Tony Hothersall added: "Community forestry is about so much more than just trees, and this is a great example of organisations working together on the development of a wet grassland nature reserve and of course, for the benefits for local people."