A BID for almost £1million government cash has been submitted by council bosses in a bid to save Blackburn's Waterloo Pavilions scheme.

Regeneration chiefs at Blackburn with Darwen Council took control of the beleaguered project in July amid concerns that it would not get off the ground.

More than a year ago, the council offered the three Georgian-listed buildings to Blackburn Cathedral for just £45,000.

Church bosses believed they would be able to get the £1million needed to restore and repair the building and create two new glass structures to link the trio of buildings together.

But when the cost doubled to £2million when new faults were found within the buildings, cathedral bosses were forced to admit defeat and their deal to buy the Pavilions was axed.

Now a bid for £970,000 has been sent in to the North West Development Agency in a bid to finally get the scheme off the ground.

Coun Andy Kay, in charge of regeneration at the council, said: "We have submitted the bid and hope to hear whether we have been successful by November."

Celebrity chef Nigel Haworth is still the first choice occupant for the scheme, using as much of the two storey-building as he wants for a new-concept restaurant which would be marketed on the back of his Northcote Manor complex in Langho.

But should he choose to only use part of the building, council bosses may create retail space inside to help kick-start rebirth of shopping in Church Street, recently pedestrianised as part of a £2million scheme.

The first four of five works of art, commissioned by the council at a cost of £286,000, will arrive next month.