A CONTROVERSIAL multi-million pound educational visitor centre planned for Rivington has been dropped after failing to win vital Millennium Commission cash.

The "Blue Planet" centre, planned for the edge of Lever Park by the Rivington Heritage Trust, was to form the centrepiece of a major £15 million regeneration of the area.

The Commission's bombshell refusal to grant the money now leaves plans for further improvements to Lever Park hanging in the balance.

The Trust had applied for £3.5 million from the Millennium Commission and this was to be matched by cash from North West Water, who own the development site.

The application had been "long-listed" for Millennium funding but failed to reach the final shortlist even though it had full planning approval from Chorley Council.

John Mayson Whalley, the heritage trust chairman, said: "We are very disappointed.

"We believe the Blue Planet centre would have been of great benefit to the area and the North West, but we recognise our project was competing with many other excellent schemes and, sadly, there is insufficient funding for all of them."

The visitor centre, which would have been built in the grounds of Rivington Water Treatment Works, was part of the plan for the area which included the partial restoration of the Terraced Gardens - originally laid out by Lord Leverhulme - and improvements to Lever Park.

Mr Whalley added: "Revenue from the Blue Planet would have been used to maintain the restored terraced gardens and to fund further improvements to Lever Park."

The scheme had angered many people who objected to North West Water applying for public Millennium Commission funds for the centre when United Utilities makes massive profits.

And there were claims by objectors that the plan would hit Lever Park's "protected and free from all commercial development" status.

The heritage trust will now go back to the drawing board to consider other options following the Millennium Commission's decision.

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