AMBITIOUS plans have been unveiled to record every listed building in the borough of Blackburn with Darwen in time for the year 2000.

Blackburn, Darwen and Turton and Belmont civic societies will work together for the first time.

Blackburn Civic Society vice-chairman Doug Chadwick said the aim was to produce a colour book containing information and pictures of most of the 340 buildings.

He said: "It will show the borough of Blackburn with Darwen in a completely different light.

"It is a very ambitious project which is going to prove very expensive.

"There will not be pictures of every building because of the expense, but each building will be mentioned."

Listed buildings are those selected by the Government for preservation because of architectural or historical importance.

Mr Chadwick said the book would not only contain well maintained buildings like Blackburn Cathedral but would also those which have fallen into disrepair.

He added: "The King's Head pub in King Street is a prime example of a listed building which has been neglected.

"We hope this book would highlight the way buildings of this type have been abandoned.

"It would bolster the current work being done to promote the use of brown field sites - those which have been previously used - for new developments."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.