TWO major schemes in a town could be completed by 2020 following a multi-million pound grant.

The executive board at Burnley Council has accepted a grant of £4.9million from Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP), which will support the delivery of two major infrastructure works in Padiham.

The funds will support the creation of 240 new homes on the former Baxi site, protect Padiham town centre from future flooding and ‘reinvigorate Padiham as a retail destination’.

A total of 160 properties were flooded in Padiham during the Boxing Day floods of 2015 and new flood defences will be created along the River Calder and Green Brook, along with flood defence walls across the town.

The Environment Agency has said the new scheme would protect 92 homes and 77 businesses in Padiham from ‘significant’ flood risk.

Padiham's town centre will also get a facelift that is hoped will increase footfall and in turn will help to reduce the number of shop vacancies.

Footpaths will be widened and new traffic-calming measures will start at the St Leonard’s mini roundabout and run to the Tesco roundabout, near Wyre Street.

Deputy leader Cllr John Harbour, the executive member for housing, and a member of Padiham Town Council, said the money will make a major difference in the town.

He said: “The money will make a major difference to Padiham and the sooner we get going on the project the better.”

The LEP’s funding has come from the Local Growth Fund, a multi-million pound investment programme for Lancashire which seeks to drive economic growth, help build homes and create ‘high-value’ jobs.