AMBITIOUS plans to put the heart back into an East Lancashire town were just a few months away from being realised.

Accrington could have been transformed into a thriving centre of trade and manufacturing if a bid for millions of pounds of grant aid was successful.

The Hyndburn Partnership, a consortium of private companies, council and voluntary organisations had applied for £29 million worth of government cash.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.