FOR years Blackburn's Church Street Pavilions have been allowed to crumble and decay so that the Grade ll listed buildings have become nothing more than an eyesore.

It doesn't take a lot to imagine what these proud Georgian structures could become and today at last we are moving towards restoring them to their former glory.

A total of £1million has been secured to renovate the three buildings and link them with glass into what will be a superb centrepiece to the newly revamped Church Street.

We have waited a long time, some would say too long, for this package to be put in place and it is brilliant news.

The artist's impression published today shows the sort of building that would be welcome in the heart of some of our best cities.

The council still has to find a tenant, or tenants, for the Pavilions but that will surely not be such a problem when they look so attractive.

But amidst such euphoria there is one note of gloom - the astonishing comments of Conservative leader Coun Colin Rigby.

He says Blackburn is "a grotty mill town" and that it isn't possible "to compete with the likes of Preston."

What on earth is he thinking of?

We may have problems but councillors must have vision and ambition if Blackburn is to improve.

His apparent acceptance that we must somehow remain low grade is pathetic.