TOWN hall bosses are planning to put together a bid for a multi-million pound package of improvements for Blackburn town centre.

European Union leaders have announced about £4.5 million could be made available for two East Lancashire towns.

The area's six borough councils will have to bid against one another for the funds and the two best projects will be in line for the jackpot.

Blackburn with Darwen bosses are hoping to use the cash to revamp the run-down areas on the fringes of the town centre.

If Blackburn wins out in the bidding process, the cash would be spent in Darwen Street and the roads surrounding the Railway Station.

The aim would be to link up any projects with the recent improvement work in the shopping centre, King William Street and the markets. Phil Watson, the newly-appointed chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council, announced the move at a regeneration committee meeting.

Town hall officials from Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Cheshire have been holding talks about applying for European funding. And Lancashire has been allocated about £45 million for a series of projects, with £4.5 million set aside for improving two town centres.

A final bid is likely to put together by September, but European officials are expected to take some time to make a decision.

Regeneration chairman Andy Kay, said: "It is still too early to say exactly what sort of improvements we will be looking at.

"We will have to employ consultants who will look at the situation in the town centre and then put a package together for us by September."

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