BLACKBURN town centre's not going to look half bad if the council carries on like this.

I'm talking of course about the good news that they're going to pump £2million into revamping Lower Northgate.

The plans include repaving the streets with high-quality stone, improving lighting, planting trees and adding seating.

It looks like the council has realised that you get what you pay for and has shelled out for a quality re-fit that'll ensure businesses are thriving for years to come.

And it's not a moment too soon.

It doesn't take much nowadays to hop on a bus or train to Preston or Manchester for a bigger, better, choice of shops, but the people of Blackburn are a loyal bunch who genuinely want to keep the local economy thriving.

It's only fair their loyalty is rewarded with a town centre that's pleasant to spend time in.

When the Queen came to Blackburn last summer the council pulled out all the stops, re-tiling the train station, covering ugly buildings and planting flowers in Church Street. And what a difference it made.

Hopefully this time next year Blackburn will have a centre to be proud of - one that reflects the vibrancy of its people.