EXTRA cash has been awarded to Blackburn with Darwen Council to help with the cost of its change to unitary status.

Blackburn town hall took sole control of all services in the borough in April when it became independent of Lancashire County Council.

And the government has decided to award an extra £3.5 million to the council to cover the costs of the change.

Lancashire County Council has also been awarded almost £3 million in the wake of the reorganisation.

The deputy leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council Gail Barton welcomed the extra money.

She said: "I am pleased that our claim has been recognised in full.

"It is in fact more than we had assumed we would get and the council will look at the best and most prudent way of using this to offset the costs of reorganisation."

The government set aside more than £150 million nationwide to help cover the costs of local government reorganisation across the country.

Local government minister Hilary Armstrong said: "We recognise that the one-off costs of transition are significant.

"Authorities involved in the reorganisation process experience financial pressure in the run up year to, and years immediately following re-organisation."

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