A MULTI-million pound scheme to tackle congestion which could help create hundreds of new jobs is set to go ahead.

Blackburn with Darwen Council leaders are expected to approve the progression of the £2.9million National Productivity Investment Fund when they meet on Thursday.

The project, which council bosses hope will help create between 370 and 690 potential new jobs, would see a series of changes to town centre roads.

Subject to approval from the executive board, a consultation with town centre businesses and the public will be launched later this month.

The council proposed to put up £900,000 along with a £2m grant from the Department for Transport.

New junctions would be created with direct access from Barbara Castle Way, while a new highway link road and junction access for Richmond Hill and Richmond Terrace could help reconnect fringe areas of the town centre.

Northgate would be opened up to through traffic, Sudell Cross would be pedestrianised and Victoria Street (south) would become inbound only.

New parking would be created at Richmond Terrace and the council also aims to create a better link between the Mall and Whalley Range for pedestrians.

Regeneration lead member, Cllr Phil Riley, said: “The idea is two or three-fold. First, we want the Whalley Range bazaar of shops to feel like it is more part of Blackburn centre and it will allow us to attract more visitors into the town centre from there.

“We also want to open up Northgate to direct access from Barbara Castle Way and cut through the area and create the pedestrianisation of Sudell Cross.

“We need to improve access from the side of town to Feilden Street.

“The National Productivity Investment Scheme will compliment everything that is going on in the town centre at the moment.

“We need to access these spaces available for further development and some are under-utilized sites and we can get businesses looking at them.

“Barbara Castle Way acts as a barrier to access to the town centre in Blackburn that everyone feels."

“As we have got significant pieces of development in the borough it is a good time to make changes and it will improve access to the town centre."

“This scheme is yet another key part of the major multi million pound regeneration that continues to happen across Blackburn town centre.

“While we are aware that there will be some disruption we are committed to doing what we can to keep that to a minimum when the works start “And so far the feedback that we are getting from businesses in the town centre is that this is something they are keen to see happen.

“However, we will be carrying out formal consultations with key businesses and the general public later in the spring.

A report to go before the board states: “More footfall and movement into the town centre will support the leisure, cultural and evening economy which is currently under-represented.

“Recent clearance and demolition in the town centre presents an opportunity to reconfigure and improve access, which will unlock further economic development on a number of key town centre sites.

“For those wanting to access King Georges Hall or the proposed new multi-screen cinema on the former Waves site, a number of key routes through the Northgate Conservation Area (for vehicles and pedestrians) are proposed, which will make the destination more attractive and easier to get to.”

“Improved pedestrian routes to and from adjacent communities will generate fewer car trips, delivering road safety benefits and improved air quality.”

Subject to approval and the consultation, work for the scheme is scheduled to begin in October with the aim of being completed by the end of March 2020.

The majority of the project would not require any planning permission, with the exception of the proposed new Richmond Hill link road.