HALF a million trees have been planted and new woodland the size of 500 football pitches has been created during the Forest of Burnley project.

After four years overseeing the ever-expanding Forest of Burnley Ellen Dempster, the London-based Millennium Commission case officer, is handing over the spade work to Alisdair Macdonald.

Tree officer Phil Dewhurst, said: "It will be Alisdair's task to facilitate the commission's funding arrangements for the 12 months of the project."

The commission is the principal funding body with other partners including the Forestry Commission, private landowners, community and voluntary groups such as Trees for Burnley and parish councils.

So far the project has had a hand in planting more than 500,000 trees to create 250 hectares of new woodland, the management and improvement of 100 existing woodlands and the creation of a 2,000 specimen tree arboretum across the urban area and in the borough's parks.

Mr Dewhurst added: "As a result of the external funding the project has significantly increased the woodland cover throughout the borough, which, prior to the project, was one of the lowest in Europe."