A MAJOR town-centre regeneration project which has been plagued by delays will be ready 'in a matter of days,' a council boss said today.

But the scheme will still be without the artwork which will eventually dominate it when contractors hand it over to Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Planners blamed poor winter weather for hold-ups on the £2million Church Street pedestrianisation scheme in Blackburn, which put it more than a month behind schedule.

The council's man in charge, Coun Ashley Whalley, said today: "The bad weather hit us and it's been a catching-up process ever since. But it will be ready for handover in a matter of days."

However, the £300,000 modern-art sculptures which will dominate the new-look Church Street will still not be in place until September, he confirmed. A row which broke out last month when it was revealed that all that would mark the site's spring completion would be their five wooden plinths.

And plans to transform the dilapidated Pavilion buildings, which line one side of the street, into an upmarket restaurant have also hit a snag after the estimated cost of the project rose from £1million to £2million.

Councillor Whalley said it had never been feasible to have the statues ready at the same time as the rest of the project. The council unveiled plans for the five sculptures in February last year and commissioned Yorkshire artist Ian Randall to create works symbolising Blackburn's historic contribution to the cotton industry.

Each sculpture will represent a different stage in the development of the cotton plant, and will be made from bronze, stainless steel and fibre optics. Three will include water features.

The Church Street scheme ran into further controversy during the winter when Spanish workers were brought in help lay thousands of new cobbles -- plying a traditional East Lancashire trade because of a shortage of home-bred specialists.

Councillor Whalley added: "I'm very pleased with how it's turned out. It looks good -- and it will look even better when the five sculptures are in place.

"I think it will be an award-winner."

He added the scheme was already acting as a catalyst for the development of business in the town centre. "It's been worth the little bit of extra wait," he said.

Contractors will now move on to Darwen Street, where they will refurbish the stretch to Jubilee Street.