Colne becomes first Lancashire town to win Walkers Are Welcome status

And the Colne Walkers Are Welcome Steering Group, together with Pendle Council, is particularly proud that Colne is the first town in Lancashire to gain this distinction.

David Penney, Coordinator of the Colne Walkers Are Welcome Steering Group, said:

"The Walkers are Welcome National Committee voted unanimously in favour of Colne becoming a Walkers are Welcome Town. We met all six criteria required for full membership of the National Network.

"In particular, we demonstrated a high level of support for our application to become a Walkers Are Welcome Town in petitions with nearly 1,000 signatures.

"We also put forward letters of support from a wide range of agencies including Colne Town Council, Colne Connected and the three Parish Councils of Foulridge, Laneshawbridge and Trawden, as the town designation covers the old District Council area (BB8 post code)."

The national Walkers Are Welcome campaign supports the improvement of footpaths, better facilities for walkers and public transport to reach the countryside.

Councillor Jonathan Eyre, Pendle Council's Executive Member for Tourism, said:

"This is fantastic news for Colne and indeed the whole of Pendle.

"The Walkers Are Welcome accreditation will certainly help us promote Colne and the surrounding area as a great place to come for a walking holiday.

"The success is down to a group of local people who have been committed to getting Walkers Are Welcome accreditation for Colne - my congratulations go to them along with my thanks for their efforts."

Councillor Dorothy Lord , Chair of Colne Town Council, said:

"We want visitors and residents alike to enjoy the many walks that Colne and indeed Pendle as a whole have to offer.

"The Walkers Are Welcome accreditation has many benefits for Colne and the surrounding villages, bringing more visitors to spend money in the town and giving local businesses a boost."

The Colne Walkers Are Welcome Steering Group will now promote this status by:

Displaying Walkers Are Welcome window stickers in Colne and the three villages of Foulridge, Laneshawbridge and Trawden

• Placing information of the Walkers Are Welcome and local walks on tourism websites
• Organising the launch of the Walkers Are Welcome Town during the Pendle Walking Festival with an exhibition at the Crown Hotel, Colne, on Saturday 10th September at 12 noon, and then
• Leading a specially commissioned circular walk, 'Nature's Way', which links the three Local Nature Reserves in Colne.

For more information about Colne's Walkers Are Welcome accreditation, contact David Penney on 01282 870076, 07948 203836 or david.penney53@ntlworld.com.

Or to find out more about Walkers Are Welcome status go to http://www.walkersarewelcome.org.uk/.