ANYONE driving into Blackburn from Accrington will have seen a smart new building go up in a matter of months. The £3.5million business centre has just opened its doors and staff now hope to create hundreds of jobs. We were taken on a behind-the-scenes tour of the new Blackburn Enterprise Centre.

STANDING on land which has been derelict for over 20 years is a new beacon of hope for the future of East Lancashire.

The Blackburn Enterprise Centre is the first of five enterprise havens' planned for the area, which it is hoped will help create nearly 4,000 businesses and 13,000 jobs.

The state-of-art building was more than two years in the pipeline and offers advice and support to new and existing businesses.

Walking into the reception the first thing that strikes visitors is the clean modern surroundings and not that the building is constructed from renewable materials.

The enterprise haven, off Hill Street, symbolises a bright future for the Furthergate area of Blackburn and for East Lancashire as a whole.

In the next three years similar centres are to open at Ewood Park, Blackburn, and Burnley FC's Turf Moor.

Another two enterprise centres are to also open in Hyndburn and Pendle.

Lorraine Bradley, facilities manager at Blackburn Enterprise Centre, said: "The main aim is to help achieve investment, employment and sustainability to help the local economy grow.

"The location was chosen because it is on a priority bus route and it is in a good location in relation to motorway connections."

The enterprise havens are being funded through the Government-funded Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI).

In September East Lancashire was given £23.4million to slash unemployment and boost morale in deprived areas, which could rise to £60million over the next decade.

Blackburn Enterprise Centre houses 2,800 square metres of office space split up into 28 suites' ranging from 470sq ft to 1,130 sq ft.

It is also home to four conference centres which can be used by tenants and the wider business community.

Businesses rent office space on a monthly basis and use the building's broadband and telephone facilities and secretarial staff.

Other features are solar panels on the roof and toilets are flushed by collected rain water.

Bosses also intend to erect a wind turbine to make the building even more energy efficient.

It is hoped the building will initially create 200 jobs.

The first tenants to sign up have been Community and Business Partners.

The business advice firm runs a number of services including Guardian Angel Entrepreneurs Network, which helps entrepreneurs to receive help from established businesspeople.

Mrs Bradley said bosses have held talks with nine more potential tenants and it was envisaged the centre would not be dependent on funding in three years.

She said: "There is a lot for the companies to consider before they move in such as what IT facilities they need.

"We have had a lot of positive feedback from people looking round and it can take a couple of months from when businesses come in to moving in."

Amanda Meachin, chief executive of Community and Business Partners said the move from Ordnance Street would allow the company to grow and offer more services.

She added: "This is an exciting new development for Community and Business Partners "It's a fantastic state-of-the-art building, in a prime location and we are delighted to be the first tenants."