RESIDENTS and council bosses will find out next month whether they have secured £2.25million of lottery cash for Blackburn's Corporation Park.

Initially, the decision was expected in February after Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council submitted its proposals on November 15 last year.

But that was delayed by several months because of changes to the Heritage Lottery Fund's management.

It has now been announced that the decision will be revealed in writing next month.

The award of the money was provisionally agreed last year subject to the more detailed plans.

In the bid, council bosses announced ambitions to improve the garden of remembrance, lakes, fountains, pavilions, drainage, paths, conservatory and boundary walls with the cash.

The council and Corporation Park Supporters' Group want to restore the park's Victorian splendour and banish its tarnished image of the last 30 years, when it has been targeted by arsonists, juvenile trouble-makers and sex-attackers.

In the most recent incident last month, vandals caused £150,000 worth of damage to the park's bowls house.