Search for UK's ugliest wasteland

The campaign is backed by stars including Linford Christie

A search for the most rubbish-strewn, fly-tipped and generally neglected land in Britain has begun.

The public is being asked to nominate the ugliest wasteland they know as part of a campaign to tackle the problem.

It is thought 70,000 hectares - an area equivalent to Greater London - has been forgotten.

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (Cabe) plans to return the worst examples to public use.

'Civic pride'

Cabe believes millions of people's lives are affected by the problem - whether the offending space is a disused factory site, rundown park, neglected council estate or pot-holed car park.

UK WASTELAND FINDINGS 5,000 hectares attached to derelict buildings, undeveloped council sites, former gas works, quarries and mines Often a threat to children and residents Living next to derelict land reduces property value by an average 15% - £20,280 Repairing badly maintained parks could cost £3.5bn

Edward Hobson, one of the project leaders, told BBC News Online: "These are areas that are real eyesores, a blight on local communities where we don't want our children to play."

Mr Hobson said the problem is particularly bad in the North West because of the decline of industry.

But he added: "It's a problem that affects all towns and villages across the country.

"Every person in this country can point to a wasted space within a quarter of a mile of their front door."

Launching the project, Cabe identified a series of once neglected areas which have since been transformed.

HAVE YOUR SAY A wasteland of boarded up buildings Trevor Notrog, Surrey, UK Send us your comments

Among them was a 19 acre riverside site in Newark-on-Trent turned into a mixed use development of private homes, offices, a marina and a new riverside park.

It also highlighted the creation of a new skateboard and BMX park in the village of Denby, Derbyshire.

'Shameful'

Celebrities including Dame Anita Roddick, Sir Ian McKellen, Linford Christie, Ben Chaplin, Dame Judy Dench and Trevor Nelson have lent their support to the scheme.

Ian McKellan highlights his dislike of spaces cut-off by fences

Olympic champion Christie highlighted the dereliction surrounding the Linford Christie stadium in west London.

He said: "It's shameful that we can let one of our capital's sporting centres get to such a state. It upsets me personally that such an opportunity is being wasted."

Sir Ian McKellan asked: "Why do we define space with fences? Why don't we take our litter home? Why do we think we can survive without beauty?"

'Positive and safe'

One of the key problems to overcome, according to CABE, is that many property developers hold on to large areas for years before beginning work.

It also said absentee land owners can be difficult to track down, while others 'forget' they own land that has lost its value.

At the end of September CABE plans to reveal the worst wasted spaces.

It then plans to work with local bodies to "tackle the worst dereliction and make these sites a positive and safe dimension of our communities".