BLACKBURN Cathedral yesterday was awarded more than £300,000 for roof repairs and improvements to go with its new Clergy Court.

It is one of 31 of the Church of England’s premier places of worship to share £8 million for urgent maintenance from a special government initiative.

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The grant from the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repair Fund will be used for ‘high level repairs’ to its North and South Transepts.

They include work on the slates, guttering, parapets and stonework on the top of the post-Second World War add-itions to the building.

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid announced that Blackburn, Chester, Lancaster, Liverpool and Manchester cathedrals are among those from across England receiving the cash.

The Blackburn grant is the largest in the North West and one of the highest in England.

The grant comes as the steel frames of the hotel and first office block for the £33million Cathedral Quarter can be seen rising to the sky.

The scheme includes the first Clergy Court and Cloister Gar-den at an English Cathedral for 600 years Dean of Blackburn Christopher Armstrong said he was delighted at the grant.

He said: “We will be able to do repairs to the roofs, gutterings and parapets of the two cathedral transepts and also all necessary painting work.

“The grant is linked to the World War One commemorations.”