BIG-screen advertising could come to Burnley town centre as part of a £25,000 face-lift for pedestrianised St James' Street.

Council chiefs are being urged to give the go-ahead changes to the "street furniture" scene near the Boots store to make the area more attractive, vibrant and better used by the public.

And part of the plan is the introduction of a money-making City Vision advertising and public information screen, aimed to provide "modern, state-of-the-art interest to the area" according to town centre manager Lisa Durkin.

She says each one-hour slot would contain 30 minutes of national advertising, 15 minutes of documentary-style programming and 15 minutes of local information and advertising.

The screens -- tested in Blackpool for two years -- are considered vandal proof.

Other changes put forward by Mrs Durkin to members of the council's Regeneration Committee last night include:

Total rebuilding of the present under-used charity arch to form a coffee shop with outdoor seating or new retail premises.

The present "problem" rock water fountain feature -- often out of use, costly to maintain and a litter trap, should be replaced by a new water feature, possibly incorporating the Lucas fountain, at a cost of £10,000.

The plans envisage the removal of four flower beds -- to open up the area and provide space for seating.

The telephone kiosks at the bottom of Manchester Road may also go as part of the face-lift which could include a new public art feature "-- sculptures or a statue "to give people something to look at".

In her report Mrs Durkin says: "To encourage a vibrant street environment, we need to provide facilities and space -- chairs, benches and informal ways to sit and relax.

She says the area of St James' Street being considered is "under utilised and lacking in complimentary facilities", adding that some of the present features served no purpose and needed addressing.

She highlights the poor design of the present under-used charity arch -- pointing out it could not be used for the charity collection purpose for which it was built because it had no door and the only access was via climbing through a window.

Mrs Durkin says the area could be improved to make it a key feature of the town centre.

Regeneration committee members decided to defer the issue to the next meeting when Mrs Durkin would be present to outline her proposals.