FIVE more statues are set to spring up around Blackburn as council bosses continue to make big developers pay for public art.

But companies are to be given leaflets of what sort of art is acceptable after council officers admitted some existing schemes had not been as successful as they might have been.

So far, four pieces of public art have been erected around Blackburn and Darwen, paid for in part or in full by developers.

Blackburn's planning rules mean that any firm building a town-centre development worth more than £250,000 must include some form of public art in the project. Any firm spending more than £500,000 outside the town centre also has to do the same.

Talks are on-going with Netto, which is to open a store in Montague Street, Peel Holdings, which is creating a leisure complex next to the railway station, and hospital bosses at Queen's Park about more public art.

Capita, which is building an office block next to the Barbara Castle Way extension, is also talking to the council about its artistic contribution. And the firm behind the B&Q project in Grimshaw Park has also confirmed it will be adding art to its project.

A report shows that, so far, four developers have built or paid for works of art in Blackburn and Darwen.

In Darwen, the Millennium Globe was partly paid for by Sainsbury's when it opened up in the town.

In Blackburn, public art has been installed at the Matalan/Staples retail development, on Blackburn Railway Station and at Lidl in Bank Top.

In his report to the planning and highways committee, regeneration director Adam Scott stated: "Several issues remain in the development of public art, including when to involve an artist in the overall scheme, establishing with developers the role of public art, and how to consult with people.

"As a result of the absence of this information in an accessible and succinct form, the schemes achieved to date have not been as entirely successful as they might have been.

"Officers are now producing a simple advice note for development control caseworkers to give out to developers. The intention is that the leaflet would include photographs to illustrate the different ways in which public art can be used."

When pressed to name individual schemes which the council felt were not up to scratch, Mr Scott said there was not one in particular but just a feeling that they could have been better.

However, Coun Alan Cottam, Conservative regeneration spokesman, said: "The one at Lidl is known as the flying hubcap. It is daft.

"It is just a metal disc on two pieces of wood. That isn't art."