A RUSLAND Valley project aimed at reversing the fortunes of a species of butterfly facing extinction has been given the thumbs up.

Planners at the Lake District National Park Authority gave the green light to create a 25cm peat bund around the perimeter of Hay Bridge Moss, at Bouth, near Ulverston.

With an aim of retaining water to bring a damaged bog back to life with moss and plants, it is hoped the rare large heath butterfly, a species currently in decline and facing extinction in the wild, will begin to prosper in the designated Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The plan was submitted by the John Strutt Conservation Foundation, a charity set up in 1994 by the late John Herbert Strutt, of Eden Place near Kirkby Stephen, who had a lifelong interest in wildlife and in particular butterflies and parrots.

The charity's chairman, Sir Martin Holdgate, told the meeting of the LDNPA's Development Control Committee: "Rejuvenating this bog is in the wide interest of the committee in the sense that these are remarkable natural features which are part of our heritage, several of which have been damaged in the past. Restoring them is part of our duty to which we have been entrusted and this project is a win-win."

Natural England was in support of the plan and told officers: "If it doesn't happen the bog will continue to lose peat through oxidation and the quality of the habitat will decline further."

The project was deferred after a meeting in May where planners sought clarity over the issue of flood risk to neighbouring farmland.

Colton Parish Council said the plan should be rejected on the grounds of potential flooding and added the site is 'well-known for its considerable flooding problems'. The Rusland Valley Mosses Liaison Group also had concerns.

But committee members agreed to press ahead with the plans, with eight voting to delegate the decision to officers, who will now speak with the applicant and objectors to finalise details.

Allerdale Cllr Alan Clark said: "Nobody can guarantee what could happen in the future but I think we should take the chance on this. I think we have neglected nature. We used to have ponds and marshes and things like that (bund) kept the water back. Now when it rains water runs into streams quickly."