East Lancashire's major town-centre regeneration project received a severe setback today, when it was revealed that the restoration project at the heart of the venture had suffered a big cash blow.

For the plan by Blackburn Cathedral to breathe new life into the historical and long-neglected nearby Pavilion Buildings, in Church Street, was hit by the disclosure that the cost of the work has doubled.

Now, the opening of the high-class restaurant that is to be created there for award-winning Northcote chef Nigel Haworth looks set to be delayed by at least a year -- until Easter, 2003, at the earliest -- because so much more work needs to be done on the Georgian buildings.

And the rocketing of the cost, by more than double to more than £2million, means that cathedral bosses, who acquired the Grade II-listed Pavilions from the town hall for a knock-down price on the strength of their restoration vision, will now have to seek cash help from the council and North West Development Agency.

There must be a swift and positive response. For not only is this project an important one in itself, putting new and inspiring life back into historical buildings of the sort that Blackburn now has so few of, but it is also a vital anchor development in Blackburn's crucial efforts to regenerate the town-centre and its prosperity with the redevelopment of Church Street.

The success of the entire scheme -- whose scope and imagination is becoming increasingly apparent as the £2million pedestrianisation of the street proceeds -- and the hopes of uplifting the town centre and making it more attractive may depend on the Pavilions project being a success also.

We want to see this vision realised. This setback must therefore be overcome and inspire an extra drive to get the job done -- both to save three grand old buildings and make them the catalyst for the town centre's improvement.