A FLAGSHIP £1.2 million regional headquarters for the Wildlife Trust is being planned for Bolton.

The landmark environmentally friendly building will be a focus for the charitys activities and also have a number of facilities for use by the local community.

It will be built at the site of a disused garage in Bury Road, near Crompton Way, and will feature large glass windows offering views over the Seven Acres Country Park.

There will also be office spaces available for rent.

A planning application will be submitted to Bolton Council and, if approval is given, work is expected to get under way in October, with the building opening in July, 2006.

Mick Weston, of Lancashire Wildlife Trust, said the charity had chosen to expand in Bolton because of a long-standing relationship with the borough.

He said: "We cover about 26 different boroughs in the North-west and we are more active in Bolton than anywhere else.

"This will create opportunities for more jobs and the need for more administration posts."

The charity is currently based in Blackburn Road, Bolton, in the original Warburton's bakery.

The new scheme will be financed by East Bolton Regeneration and the North-west Development Agency.

It is hoped it will also help to attract people to use Seven Acres Country park, which town hall bosses believe is underused, despite recently being awarded local nature reserve status by Bolton Council.

The Wildlife Trust has been involved in a number of projects across the borough to improve areas of wildlife.

It will also manage the Seven Acres reserve.