A BID to transform former mills into a vibrant mix of restaurants, bars, apartments and offices has been boosted by a £1.95m lottery grant.

Council chiefs hope the Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF) will attract a further £4 million from other sources and £70m of private sector investme-nt for the regeneration of the Weavers' Triangle area of Burnley.

Running over five years the scheme will make grants available to property owners and occupiers to repair historic buildings, to re-instate original archite-tural features and to bring vacant floor space back into use.

It is aimed at preventing the buildings in the area between West Gate, Trafalgar Street and across to Finsley Gate from falling into irretrievable disrepair.Rossendale developer, the Hurstwood Group, which owns some of the site, is also working on proposals for restaurants, bars, offices and houses.

An 800-capacity music venue, restaurants, offices and homes are included in the Hurstwood Group's outline planning application.

The site could also host The Fashion Tower an innovative idea proposed by former record company boss Anthony Wilson and his partner Yvette Livesey.

This aims to celebrate the region's textile heritage as well as providing business and education space. Any property owner can apply to the council for the grants.

Burnley Council leader Gordon Birtwistle said: "This is great news."

Peter Fellows,who is Heritage Lottery Fund Casework Manager for the North West, said: "By breathing new life into the buildings that Burnley inherited from the cotton industry, the scheme will be a catalyst for further investment and a renewed sense of pride in the area."

Mr Ian Whittaker, Policy and Partnerships Manag- ger at the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) said: "The aim is to encourage high quality developments."

Watch This Space' workshops on plans for the area will run from 12noon to 2pm and 6.30pm to 8:30pm on June 26 at Nelson House, Nelson Square.