Blackburn with Darwen has been awarded more than half a million pounds from the Department of Transport to improve the borough's traffic lights.

The Traffic Signal Obsolescence Grant (TSOG) is a £30m fund to upgrade traffic light systems, replacing unreliable and obsolete equipment to improve reliability.

The application process for bids was open between October and December and attracted 103 bids.

Blackburn with Darwen Council was successful in achieving the full amount of funding it applied for, receiving £555,185.

Cllr Quesir Mahmood, deputy leader of the council and executive member for growth and development, said: “This is fantastic news for everyone who lives, works, or travels through our borough, as they are going to see first-hand a huge improvement in our road systems.

“To achieve such a high level of funding from the Department for Transport is fantastic and I express my thanks to everyone who worked diligently on the bid.”

The funding has been allocated against a set programme of works and will begin in the new financial year.

Yunex, the traffic signals contractor, will deliver the scheme on behalf of Blackburn with Darwen.

Lancashire County Council has also been awarded just shy of £235,000 as part of the same funding.

The county council manages the roads in Hyndburn, Burnley, Rossendale, Pendle and the Ribble Valley.

A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said: "Maintaining traffic signals is vital to ensure people and goods can travel reliably and efficiently, and we have a countywide programme to prioritise replacement of equipment based on factors such as its age and the number of faults occurring.

"This further funding means we can replace more of our equipment which is becoming unreliable, and minimise the number of faults we need to attend."