A FORMER colliery site is being given a new lease of life in a scheme costing £8.6 million.

The former 15-hectare Ashton's Field Colliery in Little Hulton is being reclaimed, with half of the site being developed for light industrial use.

The other half will be transformed into public open space and be used for nature conservation.

As part of the work, deep mineshafts and an underground canal system will be made safe.

Contaminated land will also be made safe and converted into an attractive recreation area.

And new footpaths will be created and the ground contoured.

The site has a long history of minor coal and chemical workings. Mining stopped in 1929, although the recovery of low-grade coal from tipped waste continued until 1970.

It is estimated that the development could provide more than 15,000 sq metres of general light industry, including warehousing and offices. The North-west Regional Development Agency (NWDA) announced the scheme, which it is working on in partnership with the Forestry Commission.

A £5 million grant was handed to the NWDA by national regeneration agency English Partnerships through the National Coalfields Programme.

Residents living nearby will shortly be invited to an informal consultation event at Dukesgate Primary School, Little Hulton.

They will be told about the planned work and asked for opinion.

Maurice Gubbins, NWDA Greater Manchester area manager, said: "This important scheme will see an area of derelict land brought back into beneficial use, providing a wealth of new opportunities for the community.

"It will create jobs, high quality industrial space and attractive open spaces.

Neil Mortimer, English Partnerships head of coalfields, said: "We are keen that the community is involved in what happens to the site and we hope they take this valuable opportunity to come along and tell us what they think.

"This is a great opportunity to replace an area of local blight, making it a more attractive location for companies to invest in and enhancing its appeal as a place in which to live, work and play."

Councillor John Merry, leader of Salford City Council, said: "The site is recognised as a priority for light industrial and commercial development.

"It will meet the needs of local firms and be a way of contributing to the regeneration of Little Hulton."