A PLACE not known for its sunshine is set for an historic British first -- a solar-powered bus shelter.

Boffins at a Welsh manufacturing firm have installed the new bus shelter in the small Ribble Valley village of Chatburn at the request of Lancashire County Council.

It is part of the council's new, quality bus route scheme.

The project was due to be launched today in Clitheroe and will link the village with Waddington, West Bradford, Chatburn, Grindleton and Downham.

As well as providing brand new buses with disabled access, ensuring the most comfortable ride possible on public transport, the Quality Bus Route is also intended to boast well-maintained, and most importantly, illuminated bus shelters.

But when planners worked out where the best place was for the new bus shelter in Chatburn, they soon realised that linking the shelter to the nearest mains supply would send the cost of the whole project spiralling out of control.

The solution? A solar-powered bus stop. And, ironically, it is on a road called Darkwood Crescent.

Robert James, from South Glamorgan firm Bus Shelter Ltd, said: "It is the first of its kind in this country.There are only a couple of others in the world. "It can work in overcast weather as well as when it is raining. As well as providing the light, it also stores up energy so it can work when it is dark.

"There is also a battery as back-up should all else fail. This has become a possibility through improved technology."

The battery will also provide light during the night.

The Quality Bus Service through the Ribble Valley is the third the county council has launched, but it is the first rural one.

The county council has been working in partnership with Ribble Valley Council, local parish councils and bus operator Blazefield to bring the new service to the area.

Low-floored buses will be complemented by many other improvements, including unique and innovative platforms for bus stops which previously had no footpath, making boarding much safer.

New shelters have also appeared, painted green to blend with the rural setting.

Bus stops now have all-colour bespoke timetable information to help people plan their journey, with details of fares.

A council spokesman said: "Lighting in shelters is an important part of the scheme for making bus stops comfortable places to sit and wait.

"It would have cost a fortune to link the Chatburn bus stop to a mains power supply so we asked about this option."