COUNCIL bosses have given permission for work to begin on a new police headquarters.

Police chiefs were forced to resubmit plans for the £8million development at Whitebirk after changing some of the materials in the scheme.

It will be the headquarters for Eastern Division, which covers Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley.

The earmarked land is on the outskirts of Blackburn, but falls within Hyndburn borough.

The project reappeared on the borough council's plans list last week, but will not feature at tomorrow's meeting of the development services committee.

A spokesman for Hyndburn Council said: "Planning permission has already been granted once for this project so it has the approval of the development services committee.

"The most recent application was simply a resubmission because some of the materials had changed slightlyf-z.

"As they were only minor alterations, it does not need to go to committee."

Police hope to start work on the project by the end of the month. They had hoped to have the new centre open by spring, but problems with initial estimate for the project led to the scheme being sent out to tender for a second time.

The force's solicitors are now looking at legal action against the firm of surveyors who, they said, gave them the wrong information and caused the delay.

The three-storey office building will have a 42-cell custody suite. Seven interview rooms, a gym, doctor's surgery and canteen were all included in the architect's drawings. The new HQ will house many of the staff currently based at Blackburn Police Station in Northgate.

A new, smaller police station will be created in Blackburn.

Police chiefs say the new police base will not mean the closure of either Great Harwood or Accrington police stations.