A £100,000 lottery bid to transform a Ribble Valley art gallery is currently being considered by the North West Arts Board.

Jane Silvester, leisure and tourism officer for Ribble Valley Borough Council, said that they are "quite optimistic" about the outcome of the application, which should be announced next month.

But until then no further, more detailed, plans can be drawn up for the work, which is expected to include a new entrance, disabled access and improved gallery space.

In January, Ribble Valley Borough Councillors were told that the proposed grant would not be enough to complete the project.

Plans have been in the pipeline for more than 12 months, but met a stumbling block at a meeting when it was revealed that councillors would have to prioritise work, because the ballpark figure of £100,000 will not cover all of the ideas for modernisation that were put forward by public consultation.

Councillors heard that the proposed grant could be used to increase and improve gallery, retail and education space, improve the gallery's exterior image and disabled access and to create a cafe area.

But schemes that have been drawn up by council-appointed architects, The Design Network, cannot be costed until the council has a better idea as to what changes and modernisations it wants to implement.