FOR more than a year, Blackburn has been without what is described as a 'quality' hotel.

That could all about to end though, if the bid for £4.5million of regeneration cash is successful.

Part of that money would be used to help attract a new hotel into the town. The cash would help pay to create a site in the town centre or help purchase buildings.

Coun Andy Kay, in charge of regeneration, said: "We have been speaking to hotel chains who are expressing an interest in coming to the town.

"It is something we are aware of that needs correcting and we are working on it."

For the past year, regeneration chiefs have watched as any executives visiting Blackburn on business have either had to travel to Darwen for a four-star bed for the night at Astley Bank or head out of the borough, to the Dunkenhalgh Hotel in Clayton-le-Moors.

The County Hotel, which was situated in Preston New Road, closed last year after Fairclough Homes bought the site to build a new housing estate.

The owners of the County Hotel blamed the opening of the M65 for their demise because traffic no longer used the Preston New Road.

The East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce has been calling for more, higher-class accommodation since then and said they believed it would become more viable as new jobs rolled into the town.

Key to the whole town centre strategy is the creation of more white-collar jobs which would, in turn, lead to more money being spent in Blackburn, thus attracting more shops.

Ronnie O'Keeffe, president of the Blackburn Chamber of Trade, said: "A new hotel would be good and I believe it will become imperative over time.

"But all we have at the moment is the suggestion a hotel might be on the way somewhere. We really need a plan of what is going where and when.

"It is something Blackburn is lacking."

A feasibility study is being compiled into possible locations and the possibility of an old building being refurbished has not been ruled out.

Blackburn does have a motel, next to the Fernhurst pub in Ewood, and there are plans for another next to junction four of the M65.