A REGENERATION pot of £100,000 will be a ‘catalyst’ for more town centre investment, borough leaders hope.

Haslingden is to benefit from the cash from Rossendale Borough Council and a task force has been set up to look at how to spend the money.

Leader Alyson Barnes said: “This fund will provide the necessary catalyst for developing initiatives in Haslingden and supports the council’s stated priority for regenerating Rossendale.

“Whilst we have many pressures on our budget and have had to make some very difficult decisions in recent years due to the huge cuts in our funding from central Government, I have made it clear from the outset that I was committed to ensuring that our once-proud town centres get the investment they need.

“Our goal is to identify regeneration opportunities and ways to attract investment across the borough which will improve the lives and environment for local people.

“This fund for Haslingden shows that we mean business.

“It also comes on the back of some of our current schemes to address empty properties and the activities of rogue landlords, which will also be of benefit to the residents of Haslingden.”

The development of projects for the fund will be overseen by a newly-formed Haslingden Task Force and the council hopes it could bring in more money from external funders.

Coun Barnes said: “The establishment of a task force of key people to develop ideas and initiatives is important to delivering regeneration which requires the input, skills and efforts of many people to make a real change.”