It may be that the previous hitches and delays that have afflicted Blackburn's major regeneration project, the multi-million-pound redevelopment of town-centre Church Street, may not always have been foreseeable.

But it seems that the council need not look beyond its own doorstep for blame for the latest and, arguably, most serious setback - the loss of the prestigious would-be tenant around whose exciting plans the revamp has been virtually built.

For celebrity chef Nigel Haworth, who aimed to transform the street's historical, but long-neglected Waterloo Pavilions buildings into an up-market bar-restaurant, has pulled out, complaining he has heard nothing at all from council bosses since they took over the scheme in the summer.

Mr Haworth's frustration is understandable, when this strange silence is contrasted with the close liaison he said he previously enjoyed with officials of Blackburn Cathedral when they were the promoters of the Pavilions project.

What was the town hall playing at? This, remember, was the anchor project designed not only to restore the Pavilions, but breathe new life into Church Street and set a higher tone for Blackburn and its attractiveness. Surely, the council should have been working with Mr Haworth every step of way.

Instead, it now finds itself advertising for others with 'quality projects' of the calibre of Mr Haworth's - when, in effect, through its own laxity, it has let slip from its own hands one that was inspiring and seemed full of promise.

No-one wants to be negative about the Church Street scheme, for despite all the hold-ups and setbacks it has suffered, including this one, overall, it has vision and the promise to trigger the revival and upturn of town-centre Blackburn. And it must be hoped, therefore, that the council quickly finds new top-rank projects to fill and restore the Pavilions.

But perhaps it is time for a top-flight troubleshooter to be brought in to manage the whole venture - someone who can attract and, above all, keep hold of those prepared to invest in this vision.