WORK on a crucial roundabout in Blackburn - and two nearby junctions - could bring £17million in benefits to the town.

Consultants say the financial injection will come with the unlocking of two key housing sites at Roe Lee and off Whinney Lane.

Improvements will principally be made to Brownhill roundabout, using the government Growth Deal cash.

But the Pleckgate Road and Ramsgreave Drive crossroads and the A6119 Brownhill Drive, Whitebirk Drive and Whalley Old Road junction are also set to be improved.

Better lighting for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as landscaping, have also been promised.

Council bosses say they will take account of a series of public consultations over the traffic light sequencing at Brownhill roundabout.

Cllr Phil Riley, regeneration cabinet member, said: “We are going to invest in more intelligent traffic lights, which will take into account traffic flows at the junction, more than the existing ones.

“We expect that this will make the while roundabout work rather better and address any concerns which have been expressed.”

Next Wednesday the Transport for Lancashire committee is recommending that £2.3m should be allocated by Lancashire Enterprise Partnership for the initiative.

The remaining £300,000 for the works has previously been pledged by Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Under the wider project the Whinney Lane scheme would create 272 homes by 2024.

A further 155 properties would be constructed at Roe Lee, off Ramsgreave Drive, by 2022, if everything goes according to plan.

Persimmon Homes has an application submitted for the site, pledging financial contributions towards off-site highways works and local schools places.

Dave Colbert, a county council specialist transport planning adviser, said in a report: “The scheme has the potential to generate a further £17million of wider economic benefits over the 60-year appraisal period, arising from the development of the two housing sites that the scheme will unlock.”

The scheme is one of three Pennine Gateway projects for East Lancashire, which are expected to boost the economy by £414m, for a £125m overall investment.

One is for Furthergate, to ease motorists' progress towards the M65 at Whitebirk, and the other is the Burnley, Hyndburn and Pendle corridor upgrades.