A TOWN council for Darwen is a step closer after MP Janet Anderson threw her weight behind the idea.

Mrs Anderson has written to Blackburn with Darwen Council chief Graham Burgess, asking for a referendum giving people in Darwen a chance to vote on the issue.

The For Darwen party launched a petition to get a town council for Darwen just over three months ago and already has 2,000 signatures.

Mrs Anderson said: "It has been clear for some time that the people of Darwen, while accepting that Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is their principal local authority, would like some recognition that Darwen has an identity of its own.

"I believe this need could be met by the establishment of a town council for Darwen. A referendum would make it clear whether or not this is what the people of Darwen want."

In the letter Mrs Anderson asks for a community governance review to establish how it could be achieved, supported by a referendum.

The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill is currently before Parliament and gives the power to a main authority, such as Blackburn with Darwen to canvass the views of residents on such a proposal.

Coun Tony Melia, leader of For Darwen, which jointly runs the borough in a coalition with the Conservatives and Lib-Dems, welcomed Mrs Anderson's support for a town council and invited her to discuss the idea.

He said: "I'm very pleased she's seen the light at the end of her tunnel vision.

"She's quite welcome to come and talk to us.

"It's what we've wanted from the very beginning."

For Darwen want the town council to have power, particularly over planning and regeneration, and over some smaller areas.

At the first meeting of For Darwen in March, Coun Melia and Coun Michael Johnson laid out their plans for a town council with powers identical to those pre-1974 when Darwen had it's own council.

At the time, Mrs Anderson said she supported the concept of a town or parish council for Darwen but said the amount of power envisaged by the For Darwen party was 'nothing short of a fantasy'.

Mr Melia said that more than 2,000 residents and councillors from all the political parties had signed copies of the petition which were in various shops across the town.