THE finishing touches are being put to multi-million pound improvement project which has spanned the last five years.

The Blackburn City Challenge project will finish this March and council leaders are already looking at new ways of bringing more funding into the town.

The project's independent board has allocated more than £37 million which has been pumped into Blackburn by the Government over the last five years.

And the organisers estimate the scheme has helped to bring a further £129 million worth of private investment into the town centre.

City Challenge officials say 100 major projects have been completed and the town has benefited on a wide range of fronts.

Important improvements have been centred around the town centre and the Brookhouse and Bastwell areas.

According to the statistics, unemployment has fallen by 26 per cent in City Challenge areas while reported crime has fallen by 30 per cent. More than half the cash was spent on housing but job creation, training and crime prevention schemes have also benefited.

Malcolm Doherty, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council and chairman of the City Challenge Board, said: "In its five-year lifetime, City Challenge has brought tremendous benefits and vastly improved the quality of life for many people.

"I am especially proud of the job creation schemes which have been established.

"They have not only helped provide a sound economic base but have also contributed to a massive improvement in social conditions in the City Challenge area."

Phil Watson, acting chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "We need to constantly search for new sources of funding, particularly now that City Challenge is coming to an end.

"We are pursuing European money and have already secured £2.5 million for further improvements to Blackburn town centre.

"We are also seeking to tap into the new Government's initiatives, particularly in education where we have already had some success in attracting funding."

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