AMBITIOUS plans to give the jewel in Hyndburn's cultural crown a £500,000 facelift have been handed in to lottery bosses.

Council chiefs have submitted a bid asking for £297,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to improve facilities at Haworth Art Gallery, Accrington.

The scheme would also be boosted by a further £200,000 from an anonymous benefactor.

The project will transform display rooms to highlight the gallery's famous Tiffany Glass exhibition.

Other plans include redecorating the reception area in keeping with the Edwardian era when the former private mansion was built.

A lift and wheelchair access are also part of the scheme, along with a new tea room and a shop.

The bid has been more than two years in the making, with gallery staff proposing a three-room display for its 140 Tiffany items.

Schools could also benefit from the plan, with teaching packs high up on the gallery's priority list.

Visitors were surveyed about their views on the scheme and a number of presentations were held.

The bid has been backed by local art and crafts societies who have written letters of support for the hefty application.

Hyndburn's Mayor, Coun Ian Ormerod, said: "I have always said the Haworth is the architectural jewel in the crown.

"The opportunities which the building and the Tiffany glass offer us are exploited to the full in the bid."

Council leader George Slynn added: "This bid has the look of a real winner and will promote tourism in the borough."

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