A REVAMP of a Rishton play area will become a step nearer when Hyndburn Council signs a new lease.

In March this year a lease giving the council control of Holt Street recreation ground lapsed.

The council tried but failed to contact landowners the Dunk-enhalgh Estate in April, May and June.

But now the council has confirmed that a 14-year lease is to be signed, which could allow the authority to start improvements, including an upgraded football pitch, games area and meeting place.

The play area is one of the largest in the Rishton area.

Coun Lesley Jackson, a Rishton representative who urged the estate to sign up earlier in the year, told a meeting of the Rishton Area Council: "The latest information seems to be they will offer us a lease which we can sign for 14 or 15 years without conditions, so it will allow us to apply for grants to do a really good project.

"We need this facility very badly. It isn't signed yet but there's good hope it will be by Christmas."

At the area council meeting it was revealed that the contract had taken so long to finalise because of attempts to extend the lease for a further six years.

But after negotiations the council decided to sign up to just the 14-year lease to speed up the process.