THE issue of Lord Square continues to dominate the future of Blackburn town centre, says the report. And council bosses have launched their sharpest broadside yet at owners Standard Life.

The firm, which put the shopping centre up for sale last October, has been accused of 'starving' Lord Square of investment. Standard Life spent £15million on refurbishing the centre in 1995, but stopped short at Lord Square.

It later withdrew £18million plans to improve the square, saying they were not financially viable.

The council report states: "Lord Square is an on-going problem, starved of investment by Standard Life and in urgent need of redevelopment. It is proposed to encourage the present or future owners of the shopping centre to make Lord Square a priority for attention."

It adds that the state of the square was brought up by a lot of people during consultations.

If the council's £12million bid for regeneration funding to the North West Development Agency is successful, some of it could be used to entice the owners to redevelop it.

Coun Kay said: "There is no doubt about it, it has to be a priority. But the completion of Church Street, along with the redevelopment of the Pavilions, is generating a lot more interest in the street at the moment.

"Hopefully that will trigger something soon. Certainly I know several of the firms interested in buying the shopping centre would redevelop Lord Square."

Philip Ainsworth, of Ainsworth's jewellers, said Lord Square's rejuvenation should be the top priority in the ten-year plan.

Standard Life said today it is continuing to talk to potential buyers. The asking price is said to be £102million.