The pavement and highway at the back of Blackburn Town Hall is set to remain partially blocked while further safety checks and repairs take place.

Tackett Street, which leads on to Exchange Street, and the walkway between the Victorian building and the shopping centre was fully sealed off after February’s storms blew a panel of cladding of the nearby council tower block.

Although the initial damage has been repaired, building inspectors are now examining the surrounding panels to make sure there is no long term damage that will cause further masonry falls.

Tackett Street and the pedestrian area between the Mall Shopping Centre and the Old Town Hall has now been partially opened up for pedestrians.

However the passageway will be closed if high winds are forecast in the coming weeks.

Engineers are hopeful that the full safety work can be completed by mid-April and the area fully opened up again.

Blackburn with Darwen executive director Andrew Lightfoot said “The Tackett St Closure is currently opened up as we have light winds which present no risk of cladding damage.

“The Town Hall Street pedestrian area between BHS and the Old Town Hall has been opened up with a protected walkway.

“The Tackett Street area will be closed off and opened up according to weather and wind speeds until the panels on the Tower Block are replaced or repaired in early April.”

The storms and high winds in Mid-February caused extensive damage across East Lancashire including bringing down trees in Clitheroe, Whalley, Blackburn, Clayton-le-Moors and Burnley.