A MAJOR Youth Arts Festival will celebrate the new millennium in Burnley, if a £26 million community improvement package gets the Government go-ahead.

Two sports and arts centres of excellence and childminder support network are also included in the council's latest bid for Challenge Fund cash. Burnley is hoping to win £6 million from the fund - an amount they say will lever in another £20 million of private funding for 35 projects over the next seven years.

Included in the package are new-job plans to extend the town's employment and training charter.

There will be a voice computer exchange network for community and voluntary organisations; an integrated crime-prevention scheme and a variety of environmental initiatives to encourage fuel efficiency and improve lifestyles in local communities.

Burnley will be competing with scores of other towns in its bid to win big money backing in the third wave of the Challenge Fund.

Two years ago the town was the region's biggest winner, collecting £19 million from the Government.

This, boosted by more than £100 million private cash, will allow the council to link with outside organisations to effect major improvements and job opportunities in Burnley over the next seven years.

Last year an improvement bid based on Padiham failed to score in the Challenge competition.

But council chiefs are confident they will return to winning ways with their latest package, aimed at improving life in local communities generally.

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