BLACKBURN-born home designer Wayne Hemingway has revealed his new ambition -- to develop a housing estate in his home town.

The 44-year-old, the founder of Red or Dead, has won national and international renown for his development of homes.

His Staith estate in Gateshead won several prizes.

But now he wants to bring his expertise back home.

Recently, the former Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School pupil was discussing the matter with Martha Schwartz, the American who mapped out Manchester's Exchange Square and many other high profile public places across the globe.

She has already visited Blackburn with Darwen as a guest of the council twice to discuss the redevelopment of the town centre.

Mr Hemingway said: "I have spoken with Martha about her doing the public space and me developing new homes.

"I would actually be happy to do both or anything in Blackburn. But I would really like to work with her and design an estate where people could really live and enjoy themselves.

"It would be a mix of social and private housing with the emphasis on affordability both in terms of rented homes and people buying their own.

"I think it would be a real pleasure to be able to do that and put something back into my home town which means so much to me."