HEALTH bosses have backed down over plans for a shiny metal roof on East Lancashire's new £90million super hospital in a bid to get the project back on track.

And a dispute with Blackburn with Darwen Council over the design of several of the hospital's walls now also looks set to be resolved with council officers.

Balfour Beatty, the developer of the single-site project at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn, had asked for permission to alter some of the hospital designs approved by councillors last year. The alterations included changing the material used on the roof from a dull grey to bright silver aluminium and making the buildings rectangular rather than curved.

The hospital claimed the alterations were for "clinical operation purposes" but after receiving word from Blackburn with Darwen Council that the alterations would be rejected on the grounds that it made the building 'dull' and 'unimaginative', the application was withdrawn.

The council also objected to silver aluminium on the roof on the grounds that it would stand out, and asked for a grey slate because it would be more in keeping with the area. The plans have now been resubmitted, with a grey slate roof.

A report to councillors added that some issues over the walls remained, but requested that officers be allowed to make a final decision once more discussions had taken place. In that way, the hospital won't have to wait until the next planning and highways committee at the end of June to find out if the alterations are suitable.

John Thomas, chief executive of the East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, said he hoped talks could be resolved within a month.

The new hospital will merge Blackburn Infirmary services with those at Queen's Park and is due to be completed in 2006. Features include a new cardiac catheter laboratory, allowing some heart operation procedures currently undertaken in Blackpool to be carried out locally.

Health chiefs have also been working to solve a problem concerning an investment agency in the City which has held up cash for the scheme. It is hoped work will start in the next couple of months.

Adam Scott, director of regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "This is a major public building in an extremely prominent location. It can be seen in many parts of the borough as well as when travelling on the M65, so it needs to be the best we can get."