Three bus services are being introduced for Blackburn - for areas which have previously lost local routes.

Under Blackburn with Darwen Council's £5.5 million Bus Service Improvement Plan the 'M' services are being brought in this month.

Borough growth boss Cllr Quesir Mahmood confirmed the move in a scrutiny management committee report last night.

The three routes are the M10, serving Warrenside Close, Openshaw and the Troy Street area, the M9 for the Griffin estate and the M11, going to Albion Mill and Brackendale, and onto Tockholes and Belmont, taking in new developments on Bog Height Road.

Cllr Mahmood added: "Incorporated in all these areas are a number of sheltered housing properties, with vulnerable residents that would otherwise struggle to access public transport."

Councillors have also been told several traffic signals will have bus priority functions fitted to improve journey time reliability, including Accrington Road / Audley Range, Bolton Road / Aqueduct Road, the A666 Larkhill / Barbara Castle Way, King Street / Montague Street, Lower Audley / Bennington , Yew Tree Drive / Lammack Road, Audley Range / Queens Park, Shadsworth / Old Bank Lane and the Townsmoor Gyratory.

Buses approaching traffic signals are detected and given priority at these junctions, either by extending green lights or shortening a previous stage.

Other improvements under the bus plan include the reintroduction of a Sunday service for the '4' bus to Mill Hill and more frequent 33 buses to the Royal Blackburn Hospital, which now take in previously unserved parts of Audley Range and Shadsworth Industrial Estate.

Further cross-boundary services, in partnership with Lancashire County Council, have been upgraded.

The '2' bus to Chorley has increased from 60 to 30 minutes frequency, the '22' to Clitheroe has seen increased evening journeys and the '152' to Burnley now runs until 11pm on all weekdays.

Councillors have heard contracted services under the plan saw a 3.1 per cent usage rise in the first two quarters of 2024-25.