A MAJOR European cash boost for Bolton could exceed £30 million over the next seven years.

And it is estimated that the injection will bring in another £40 million in funds from the public and private sectors.

The town has qualified for European funding from the North-west 2000-2006 Objective 2 programmme.

It means that Bolton is now officially an area which faces economic difficulties as a result of industrial decline. The initial £20.9 million in funding will provide help specifically for the following Bolton Council wards -- Central, Derby, Tonge, Farnworth, Halliwell, Burnden, Harper Green, Daubhill and Breightmet.

The following wards have "transitional status" and will also qualify for some assistance -- Bromley Cross, Astley Bridge, Bradshaw, Smithills, Deane-Cum-Heaton, Horwich, Blackrod, Westhoughton, Hulton Park, Little Lever and Kearsley.

Strict guidelines are in operation on how the money can be spent.

A major part of the initiative will be the creation of an Economic Development Zone around key sites within Westhoughton and Horwich such as the Wingates Industrial Park, the former Horwich Loco Works site, the Reebok industrial sector and the former British Aerospace site in Lostock Lane.

Funding of £10.6 million is designed to encourage the creation of 2,450 jobs.

Cash will be available to support the development of sites and buildings within the zone, to establish partnerships with employers to assist them to work with local business support providers and those working with people in the community. They will provide help with recruitment and seek to develop green, sustainable transport to help people living in disadvantaged communities travel to work.

Workers without cars find it difficult to take jobs on some of the town's industrial estates.The idea is to stimulate "significant and additional employment in higher-level occupations."

Administration is in the hands of the Bolton European Funding Partnership which is based on the first floor of Paderborn House in Bolton town centre.

Organisations involved include councils, Bolton Institute, North Manchester Business Link, Bolton and Bury Chamber of Commerce and the Learning and Skills Council, Greater Manchester.

Mari Martin-Matthews, the European Funding Partnership Co-ordinator, said today that the Partnership's Business & Ideas and People & Communities had already identified a number of projects for priority one and priority two funding.

"It will be a significant boost.

"Bolton has done really well to get this money," she said.

The Economic Development Zone, which will cover the area included in the Bolton Wide project, is likely to be launched in March and is described as priority 3 in the allocation language.

Developers will be invited to submit schemes.

Altogether, almost £120 million has been allocated from the European Regional Development Fund to 13 Economic Development Zones in the North-west, including the one in Bolton.

EDZ funding has been earmarked specifically to develop the region's business base -- encouraging business start-up and steering the area towards a new future which builds on the demand for new and fast-growing sectors such as Information Communication Technology and knowledge-based industries.

The government's Employment Relations and Regions Minister said: "The money to be invested represents a very significant contribution to the economic regeneration of the North-west.

"This money is vital for the competitiveness of the region."