AMBITIOUS plans have been unveiled to rejuvenate a Ribble Valley town with a new swimming pool, civic hall, market and traffic system .

Longridge Action Plan, which has taken two years to formulate, has the backing of Ribble Valley Borough Council -- and now the hunt for cash starts.

Longridge Working Group -- made up of councillors, businessmen and representatives from local organisations -- has drawn up the plan to make the town thrive again. It has three sets of targets, with the first set due for completion within 12 months, with the more ambitious projects following in two to three years time.

The old Co-op building in Berry Lane, the town's main street, will also be brought back into life.

It could have flats on its upper floor, with land nearby used for a swimming pool, new civic hall and a market.

Ribble Valley Borough Council's policy and finance committee has given its backing to the plan.

A report to the council said that within the next 12 months, the group hopes to improvement Towneley Gardens, regenerate land at the end of Clarence Street for community use; create a series of safe routes to schools for youngsters, develop a heritage trail around town and establish Longridge as the official gateway to the Ribble Valley.

Then, in the following 12 months, the upper floor of the Co-op building will be developed, plans will be drawn-up to make Berry Lane one way, a new Heritage Centre will be created and a feasibility study launched into creating a swimming pool. In the third year, a civic hall would be sited behind the Co-op, along with the swimming pool while a new transport interchange would be created.

Ribble Valley Council has decided to appoint a market towns' manager to help push ahead plans and seek funding.

A spokesman for the working group said: "We believe we have drawn up a holistic and co-ordinated plan to rejuvenate Longridge.

"To advance further, we need a dedicated officer to work with us which is why we approached the council."

David Morris, chief executive of Ribble Valley Borough Council said: "We are delighted to offer our full support to this project. We intend to appoint the officer and back the plan all the way."