REFURBISHMENT of Blackburn town hall will get underway if permission is granted by borough planners next week.

A planning application was submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council earlier this year laying out detailed proposals to renovate the third and fourth floors of the 19th century listed building, which doubles as the main offices for the local authority.

The scheme involves the restoration and modernisation of some of the empty utilitarian spaces of the top two floors of the municipal offices at the rear of the Town Hall proper.

The scheme will restore a large room on the fourth floor with a barrel vault ceiling, the original function of which is not currently known.

Finally, both the third and fourth floors will be sensitively redecorated and fitted out as a modern workplace.

A report to go before the committee recommends approval for the work.

In it, Growth Lancashire heritage and conservation officer, David Morris, said: "Apart from the basements and similar spaces, the third and fourth floors are the least elaborate of the rooms and offices of the town hall.

"The character of the offices has not been well conserved in the past.

"Nevertheless, they are part of a grade II listed heritage asset and part of the overall significance of the listed building.

"The aesthetic values of the interior have been considerably degraded over time and the scheme seeks to restore some historical dignity to the aesthetics through an individual response to each room and a sensitive colour scheme.

"In order to preserve the historical layout, and thus its evidential value, modern lightweight subdivisions will be removed and the opening out of original walls will be kept to a minimum.

"Where this occurs the ends and upper parts of the walls will be retained as evidence of its earlier existence.

"The communal value of the offices is strongly connected to the generations of council staff who have worked there.

"The continued use of the rooms for council offices will thus preserve this.

"This and the historical value of the municipal offices will be assisted by this limited study which has rediscovered the largely forgotten creation of the municipal offices during the dark days of the First World War.

"A further and more detailed study of the town hall and municipal offices is highly desirable.

"Individual historical features have been recorded and will be preserved in situ or relocated where this is not possible.

"The features of greatest individual significance are the barrel vaulted ceiling and Victorian light pipe, both of which will be restored."

Borough senior planner Alec Hickey added: "The scheme involves the restoration and modernisation of some of the empty utilitarian spaces of the top two floors of the municipal offices at the rear of the town hall proper.

"The third and fourth floors occupy the top and attic storeys on the external classical façade.

"The scheme will restore a large room on the fourth floor with a barrel vault ceiling, the original function of which is not currently known.

"A large glazed light pipe structure which carries light from the roof to floors below will also be restored.

"A number of functional offices on the fourth floor will be sensitively opened out in a manner which preserves enough of the walls to illustrate the original room layouts.

"Opening the rooms out in this way will allow the offices to become practical spaces for present day circumstances, thereby bringing the municipal offices back into use.

"Finally, both the third and fourth floors will be sensitively redecorated and fitted out as a modern workplace."