A DERELICT piece of land in the heart of Great Harwood is set to be transformed into a safe haven for youngsters.

Lancashire County Council has made £22,000 available to provide a new hang-out on the site of the former Western County Nursery School, in Holgate Street.

The project, which has been called Safe Place, Safe Space, is the result of a working group made up of Great Harwood Police, Hyndburn Council and community and will, it is hoped, lead to a reduction in the amount of juvenile crime recorded in the area.

Local youngsters claim they have nowhere to play at the moment which is why they hang around on the streets, a meeting of the Great Harwood Area Council was told.

PC Helen Jackson, of Great Harwood Police, said: "We will talk to youngsters in the town to find out what they want to go on here. We believe it is the first project of its kind in Lancashire.

"There could be a youth shelter on there, a skate ramp or kick about area. It is close to the town centre so we aren't dragging youngsters into an isolated area but at the same time it isn't in a built-up area so people won't be disturbed.

"In Great Harwood there is a shortage of facilities like this. In Accrington, they have the New Era centre's youth club which attracts around 100 youngsters every night.

"We want to create somewhere which is safe for youngsters to go and which we can supervise so parents know they will be safe." PC Gail Whiteoak, youth intervention officer at Great Harwood Police, said projects involving youth shelters and skate parks had led to big reductions in crime.

She said: "Some youngster need a firm hand but most just want to be respected and have somewhere to go."

Youth and community services Hyndburn team leader Barry Emmet welcomed the plan, which will involve £15,000 of county council money being spent over the next three years as well as the initial £22,000.

He said: "We have 73 licensed premises in Hyndburn for adults and just six youth centres. We need more."

Rev Keith Rushton, minister of the Central Methodist church, which is next to the new play site, said: "We want to help this scheme and be alongside it in more ways than one."