THREE streets are set to disappear as part of plans to create a multi-million pound OAP village in a Blackburn suburb.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has given its backing to plans to remove Livesey Court, Griffin Court and Ewood Court all in the Mill Hill area from the map.

The three courts were once home to three blocks of high-rise flats which were blown up by Blackburn with Darwen Council in 2001 after dominating the skyline for 33 years.

Since then, council bosses have been deciding what to do with the site and earlier this year secured £4million in Government cash for an extra care housing scheme'.

A total of 48 apartments will be built across the site for old people who are still able to live by themselves, but need to have the help of wardens and other staff close by.

It is hoped the scheme, being developed by housing association Housing 21, will lead to fewer old people going into residential care homes.

A day centre will also be provided, and the council has agreed to sell the land to Housing 21.

Removing the three courts and the footpaths around them will enable the developer to build across the site.

Blackburn with Darwen Council's planning and highways committee approved the removal of the streets from the map last week, while magistrates will have to approve plans to stop up the footpaths.

Coun Maureen Bateson, executive member for social services, said: "This is a scheme which will enable people to retain their independence while getting the help they need.

"It's an exciting project one of the first of its kind and I think that people in Mill Hill will prefer it to the sort of flats that were there before."

The turn of century marked the beginning of the end for Blackburn's high rise flats, once seen as the solution to the slum housing crisis of the 50s and 60s.

Along with Mill Hill, flats in Queen's Park were blown up, while high rise flats in Larkhill, were taken over by Twin Valley Homes and turned into popular shelter accommodation.

By then, Burnley had also turned its back on high rise flats. In 1994, Trafalgar Gardens, built in 1964, were pulled down. Like the high rise flats in Blackburn, they had quickly become unpopular with tenants due to problems such as poor glazing and crime.