AN East Lancashire local authority has revealed its plans for spending £3.4million of government cash to boost opportunities in the borough.

In May Whitehall allocated the money from the UK Share Prosperity Fund (SPF) to Burnley Council.

The grant is to make up for the loss of European Union funding post-Brexit.

Now the authority has revealed how it proposes to spend it before submitting its investment plan to Whitehall by the end of the month.

It comes on top of the government's main 'Levelling Up Fund' award of £19.5m Burnley Council to upgrade the borough's Uclan campus.

The plan will be considered by a special meeting of the authority's executive on Thursday night.

The proposed spending will be split into three areas:

• £1,485m for community and place;

• £947,000 to support local business; and

• £916,000 for people and skills.

A report to the executive from growth boss Cllr Mark Townsend reveals how the cash will be split up .

Under community and place there will be £200,000 plus for improvements to town centres and high streets, including £100,000 each for Colne Road enhancements and the Burnley Heritage Action Zone; a small grants scheme for neighbourhood projects including those that increase communities’ resilience to natural hazards such as flooding; and grants for the creation of and improvements to local green spaces including £110,000 for play areas and wheeled sports investment and £200,000 towards the BAXI site remediation and green space project.

Under the same heading there will also be enhanced support for cultural, historic and heritage institutions; grants for the design and management of the built and landscaped environment to ‘design out crime’; support for local arts, cultural, heritage and creative activities; funding for volunteering and social action projects and grants for local sports facilities including £75,000 for Barden Track; small grants for investment in civil society and community groups; £100,000 for Burnley Youth Zone and £800,000 for small grants.

Proposed supporting business allocations include: £126,000 for a Manufacturing Advice Service; £354,000 to increase local investment in research and development; £285,000 for the BOOST Lancashire scheme to support entrepreneurial businesses; £54,000 in grants to increase exports and international trade; and £128,000 for a 'Net Zero and Business Decarbonisation Programme'.

The £916,000 for people and skills will be spent on projects including intensive employment support for economically inactive people; training in basic skills such as digital competence, English and maths; financial support for learners to enrol onto courses and complete qualifications; and money for activities such as volunteering to improve job opportunities including the Burnley Together Steps to Employment programme.

Cllr Townsend's report says: "Across Lancashire, the amount of SPF funding available is approximately 40 per cent less than the current European Funding Programmes.

"This money can be used to support a wide range of interventions to build pride in place and improve life chances."