A BID to help Padiham become a thriving market town has been backed by the town's MP.

Peter Pike is supporting the Padiham Life bid for money from the North West Development Agency to fund three studies - one of the market, one on local buildings and the re-use of empty buildings, and a third on how to regenerate the town centre.

The bid is part of the NWDA's Market Towns Initiative. Padiham is one of only 15 towns in the North West, five of which are in Lancashire, to be selected for this initiative, which could lead to further cash injections of regeneration money.

Mr Pike said the bid was very important for the town. He added: "I want to see the centre of Padiham become a vibrant town centre."

Karen Wilson, project manager for Padiham Life, said: "This initiative is Padiham's only chance to get funding in its own right so it is vitally important that we ensure the bid is perfect.

"We have to take this opportunity and do our best to try and get a piece of the pie - without this we won't get anything.

"The whole point of the Market Towns Initiative is that the towns included grow to be able to provide for their local communities, particularly the rural communities that surround them."

If the bid is successful consultants will be brought in to carry out the three feasibility studies and residents will get the chance, once those have been completed, to give their opinions on the options put forward for regeneration.

Karen said the bid also included money for two smaller projects - a computer drop-in centre at Ivy Bank School and a business support scheme for firms in Padiham and Hapton.

These two projects will be joint funded by Ivy Bank School and Burnley Business Enterprise.