COUNCIL bosses have said a £70million shopping centre development will go ahead, despite four years of delays.

The Oval development was announced amid much fanfare early in 2006, but so far no retailers have signed up and the scheme was last year put on the back burner.

But Steve Rumbelow, chief executive of Burnley Council, said a major national chain could sign a deal to be the anchor tenant “within weeks”.

Manchester-based developers Henry Boot said they were in talks with two “prominent” retailers, believed to be Next and Primark, in the summer of 2008, but a deal now looks close according to the council.

“Henry Boot is still in detailed discussions with two potential anchor stores and it is going well,” said Mr Rumbelow.

“I hope we will be reaching a deal within weeks rather than months.”

The ambitious development has been beset with problems since its conception, with the original anchor tenant, Debenhams, pulling out of talks in 2007, saying the move would harm its Blackburn store.

Early in 2009 the proposals were dramatically scaled down by Henry Boot, who cited the recession as the reason.

Coun Julie Cooper, leader of the Labour group on Burnley Council, said: “I am always asking where we are with the project but have not heard anything about a tenant.

“It is about time if we are getting close to finding an anchor store and I would welcome the news.

“If we are not careful we are going to drive shoppers out of Burnley and into neighbouring towns, they have been hearing about these developments with no action for so long.”

Mr Rumbelow said: “Now we are coming out of recession we would hope to make more progress on the Oval.

“It is all a matter of time and we have to get things right but the plans are moving forward and the centre will happen.”