DARWEN Partnership Board has been given a sneak preview of borough plans for the replacement of the three-day market.

Regeneration boss Phil Riley told its councillors and business members the planning application to demolish the 1970s building would be submitted in ‘the next few days’.

As the market is situated in the town’s Conservation Area, proposals for its replacement must accompany the bid for approval.

Ten members of the DTB attended the meeting at Darwen Town Hall on Wednesday night.

Cllr Riley said: “The architect gave members of the board a quick ‘walk round’ the visuals of our new proposals.

“Full details will be revealed when the planning application is formally submitted in the next few days.

“The outline of the proposals was generally well received.

“It will be a vast improvement on the 1970s brutalist architecture of the existing three-day market.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s proposal to demolish the three-day market hall has been highly controversial with opposition councillors claiming borough bosses had not thought through its replacement.