A CAMPAIGN to transform the M65 and A56 has been launched in a bid to end East Lancashire's reputation as a 'cul-de-sac'.

The North West Regional Assembly -- made up of councils from across the North West -- has made improvements to the M65 and A56 a top priority.

It wants what it has called the East Lancashire cul-de-sac to be made into a fully-fledged transpennine route, with the A56 becoming at least a dual carriageway.

The organisation -- which hopes to replace county councils as a directly-elected organisation when the Government shakes up local politics -- wants to see improvements to the M65 and the A56 across the Pennines to provide an alternative to the M62.

Its pledge to fight for funding comes nearly two years after Lancashire County Council decided its major road-building scheme for the next five years would be the Heysham bypass in Lancaster.

The decision effectively left villagers in the North Valley Road area of Colne and villages such as Foulridge, Kelbrook and Earby with no hope of heavy Traffic being diverted on to a bypass until at least 2006.

But the NWRA, which has just won a campaign for money to pay for improvements to the M6/M58 Liverpool junction, another traffic bottleneck, believes work has to start sooner than that so Pendle can reap the same economic benefits areas like Blackburn have thanks to the M65.

Azhar Ali, chairman of the NWRA and leader of Pendle Council, also believes a second good transpennine route would benefit the rest of the North West.

A meeting of the assembly last week heard that the M65 acts as an economic driver for East Lancashire, but that these benefits are quickly dissipated once traffic reaches Pendle, where it is fed onto a single carriageway through towns and villages. Now the M65/A56 has been identified by the North West Regional Assembly as an 'inter-regional route' and could supplement the M62 as an important East-West link.

Coun Ali said: "As a region it is important for us to unlock the real benefits of our infrastructure. Traffic from the M65 grinds to a halt in Colne, causing congestion on our roads and acting as a major disincentive to businesses who want to establish within the borough.

"This call drew cross party support at our meeting, and organisations such as the Co-operative Society and Lancashire County Council agree that the M65 should not be allowed to remain the 'East Lancashire cul-de-sac."

A Lancashire County Council spokesman said: "The County Council is keen to see the A56 bypass become a reality as it has the potential to assist regeneration in the east of the County.

"The scheme is a priority in our Local Transport Plan and there is the possibility of us securing Government money to take the scheme forward during the next phase.

"We are also playing a major role in developing plans for the East Lancashire Rapid Transit Scheme.

"This scheme means that East Lancashire will have a first class public transport system to rival the best in the country."