COUNCIL bosses have been slammed for pumping nearly £100,0000 of taxpayers money into a bid they knew they were ‘highly unlikely’ to get.

Last month the Lancashire Telegraph revealed the council had run up a bill of £93,121 to put plans together for a £20million transformation of Blackburn Museum.

But leader of the opposition Kate Hollern has revealed Blackburn with Darwen Council was aware there was only a slim chance it would succeed in gaining funds for the £20million proposal.

The cash was spent on surveys and reports, and the council said it had been funded by the North West Regional Development Agency.

Bosses had hoped Blackburn would link up with London’s National Gallery and Victoria and Albert museum, which would have lent works to be exhibited, but the bid was rejected by Lottery bosses in September.

Coun Hollern, spoke out against the museum funding bid during a Policy Council meeting in Blackburn town hall.

She also said the council had spent around £750,000 on feasibilty studies and had bought three million pounds worth of unnecessary buildings since coming into office.

Coun Hollern said: “The coalition has wasted money left, right and centre, they have failed to recognised they have wasted money.

“The £100,000 for the feasibility study for the museum was a waste, they knew it was highly unlikely that it would happen.

Coun Mike Lee, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “We were encouraged by the Lottery to bid for funding.

“They gave us encouragement for that kind of investment for Blackburn. If we didn’t go for it we would not be doing our duties.”