A £1.3MILLION scheme to rejuvenate Blackburn's rundown Pavilions is to start within weeks after council bosses finally secured cash to pay for the project.

The three buildings - in Church Street - will be joined by glass structures before Blackburn with Darwen councillors choose which leisure or retail users will help breathe life back into the area.

But today a leading opposition councillor claimed the scheme was a futile bid to compete with Preston -- and that Blackburn was a "grotty mill town".

Conservative leader Coun Colin Rigby's comments were criticised by council leader Bill Taylor who said: "It's the job of elected members to talk the town up."

Plans have been on the table for nearly two years to turn the three Grade II-listed Pavilions -- which date back to Georgian times and have been empty for more than a decade -- into the jewel in the crown of a rejuvenated Blackburn town centre.

But after several false dawns and funding setbacks, councillors were today able to confirm that the money was finally in place.

The North West Development Agency has provided £970,000, Blackburn with Darwen Council will use £200,000 of its own money, along with £100,000 from the Government's Townscape Heritage Initiative.

Coun Andy Kay, executive member for regeneration at the council, said: "This is a very exciting step forward for Blackburn and a good example of the council's commitment to the regeneration of the town centre.

"This project has seen a number of setbacks in the past but work can finally start. There has been a lot of interest in these buildings already and I have no reason it to think it will be anything other than a success."

After years of watching the buildings fall into disrepair, Blackburn Cathedral offered to take over the project in 2001. It was offered a cut-price deal as long as bosses could find the cash to renovate them.

Celebrity chef Nigel Haworth from Northcote Manor, Langho, agreed to open a brasserie in the Pavilions.

But council bosses took control of the project after claiming they had a better chance of getting the money when costs escalated over £1million.

Mr Haworth is said to be one of around 15 potential end-users for the buildings once they are completed by Christmas. A provisional start date of April has been pencilled in, subject to planning permission.

Stewart Swift, Lancashire area manager for the NWDA, said: "I am absolutely delighted that the NWDA is able to help bring back into use such a wonderful historical asset."

It is anticipated that the completed Pavilions will encourage private investment into Church Street, which, despite a £2.5million pedestrianisation scheme, has several empty buildings, as well as the rundown entrance to Lord Square.

Vice present of Blackburn Chamber of Trade Ronnie O'Keeffe said: "This is excellent news. It is finally light at the end of the tunnel for Church Street."

Council leader Bill Taylor said: "Doubters and critics have poured scorn on our ambitious plans or urged speed when a more thoughtful approach was deserved and required."

But Coun Paul Browne, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "My concern is that no-one is going to put any money into them while the shopping centre looks so bad. They are now going to be a waste of tax payers' money."

And Coun Colin Rigby, leader of the Conservatives, said: "We are trying to compete with the likes of Preston and that just isn't possible.

"We need to remember that at the moment Blackburn is a grotty mill town but the council won't accept that. We can't compete with Preston, they have just announced an expansion to the town centre which is bigger than our entire retail space.

"These buildings should have been pulled down to improve the views to the Cathedral."