A blooming marvellous summer is in prospect after it was announced that Chorley is to enter the North West in Bloom competition for the first time.

Chorley Borough Council has decided to co-ordinate the entry and is hoping for support from town centre traders, major retailers, parish councils and community groups.

To kick-start the preparations, guests from North West in Bloom and Britain in Bloom explained the advantages of entering 'Bloom' competitions in a presentation at the town hall earlier this month.

Keith Allen, head of public space services, said: "Entering North West in Bloom will raise the prestige of the borough and also improve the appearance of sections of the town.

"The feedback so far has been most encouraging, particularly in recognising the value of community involvement in environmental quality.

"We are aware that a number of villages already enter Bloom or Best Kept competitions, with considerable success. No doubt we can learn a lot from them in the next few months."

He said a central plank of Chorley's bid would be the appearance of the town centre and initiatives were being put in place to improve it. "We will provide baskets and install and water them throughout the summer months," he said.

Advice is also being given to Chorley from the vice-chairman of the Royal Horticultural Society's national judging panel, Roger Burnett.

Judging for North West in Bloom takes place in July and a route showing off the town to its best potential is being planned.

Mr Allen's next move will be writing to parish councils in an attempt to secure their participation. He said: "If your parish has not been involved in this sort of thing before, take heart from the knowledge that we are starting from square one too."