TWO quality hotels will open in the centre of Blackburn as part of a £70 million revamp to breathe new life into the town.

Two national chains have been lined up to run the establishments - one four-star and one three-star complex, each with 100 beds.

The deal ends years of searching for a major hotel to bring people into the town centre, provides more quality conference facilities and boosts business by providing somewhere for business delegates to stay.

A new transport interchange, involving a scaled down bus station facing the railway station, will replace the town's bus station as part of the blueprint for the town's 'cathedral quarter'.

A rotating 'turntable' restaurant, a private leisure centre, new office blocks and 135 flats are also planned.

The new blueprint was given the green light by Blackburn with Darwen's ruling executive board last night. and council leader Coun Colin Rigby said: "I think it's a brilliant project. Getting all the different parties to sign up was a bit of a problem, but they're all there now.

"There's a vast amount of money being spent in the town centre, and it can only be a good thing for the borough."

Traders have said it will raise the profile of the town.

The four star hotel will be located next to the Boulevard in Jubilee Street and the three star hotel will be on a site opposite, replacing the Jubilee House council building, which will be knocked down, with staff relocating to King George's Hall.

Council bosses said there was "no going back" now the partnership involving Preston-based developer Maple Grove and regeneration body English Partnerships had been agreed.

Work is set to start on site in 2009, and is expected to take three years, meaning it should finish after other major town-centre developments, including the new Freckleton Street bridge and the revamped Mall shopping centre.

The plans, which will create 500,000 sq ft of new premises, also include a 500-space multi-storey car park and public gardens around the cathedral.

A total of 16,000sq ft of shops, offices or restaurant space will be included in the scheme, including new office buildings facing the cathedral on the Boulevard.

Council chiefs said small boutique-style shops are more likely to move into the area than big name department stores.

For years business leaders have bemoaned the lack of a recognised town-centre hotel.

Blackburn with Darwen's regeneration director Andrew Lightfoot said hotel chains were "banging on the door" to take part.

Maple Grove has been holding preliminary discussion with operators, and council bosses say names will be signed up within a year.

The new covered rail-bus interchange will be directly outside the station, which could mean the road layout has to be changed.

Office blocks will be built on part of the space currently used as the bus station.

The next stage of the project will see more detailed plans developed, and a planning application prepared - which could take about a year.

The council and the Cathedral, which own the land, had previously compiled a wish-list showing the type of development they wanted to see in the area.

In June a complex deal was struck with the national regeneration agency, English Partnerships, and Blackburn Cathedral, in a bid to secure the funding for the project. As well as its land, Blackburn with Darwen council will contribute £160,000 to start up the project, with the bulk of the money coming from the developer and English Parnterships.

Developers were asked to come up with their interpretation of the plans, and the council has now chosen Maple Grove, which has come up with the blueprint.

The firm has previously worked on regeneration projects in Chorley, Bradford and Manchester.