COUNCIL transport bosses are celebrating a cash boost for road maintenance.

In the statement -- made by transport minister Keith Hill today -- Blackburn with Darwen Council will get a total of just over £4.6 million and Lancashire County Council will receive a massive £33.4m.

The funding, part of the local transport settlement which will be fully announced next month, will be spread over two years starting when the next council year starts in May and is part of a national scheme totalling £1bn.

This new money is a large increase in the allocation given to councils. This council year, Blackburn with Darwen received just under £2m, with the new money it will get an extra £400,000 over the two years.

But it is Lancashire County Council that benefits the most. This year it was given just under £6.1m but in May it will be given £16.6m and in May 2002 it will get almost £17.8m -- a total of an extra £11.7m. The money has been allocated depending on the length and condition of roads and the number of bridges that need strengthening. Mr Hill said in his statement that after May 2003 councils will receive at least 75 per cent of their allocation in 2002. A Lancashire County Council spokesman said the council will be assessing the roads which they think need most work early in the New Year and then its Highways Committee will make a decision two months after.

Transport bosses at Blackburn with Darwen Council and Lancashire County Council were understandably delighted.

Councillor Richard Toon , chairman of Lancashire County Council's Highways Committee, was delighted at the news.

He said: "This is absolutely brilliant news for Lancashire. It means we can finally start making inroads into a backlog we have inherited from the last 10 or 15 years of underinvestment.

"One of the best things is that it is being sustained for three or four years which means we can list roadworks, bridge repairs and street lighting repairs at a higher priority more quickly."

Highways bosses at Blackburn with Darwen Council expressed similar feelings. Alan Peak, director of technical services at Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "It is good news. We can now have a look at the situation around the council area and tackle the problems of bad road surfaces and street lighting which have been neglected over the last 10 years."