CALLS for a vote on whether Darwen should have its own town council have been backed unanimously by councillors.

A motion proposed by Labour leader Coun Kate Hollern and seconded by Coun Dave Smith to hold a referendum on the issue was agreed by al parties at Blackburn with Darwen Council's full council meeting.

Coun Tony Melia, leader of the For Darwen party which took three seats at the May elections, said: "I'm over the moon. Our primary policy was to get a town council and if you look at the election results that suggests to me people would vote for a town council."

Now a petition with supporting signatures from ten per cent of the town must be collected which will be sent for Government approval. A consultation will then be held so residents can chose which model of town council they want before a referendum is held.

The For Darwen party launched a petition in May and Coun Melia said only a few hundred more signatures are needed to get the required number of about 2,500.

A Town Council allows people to have a bigger say on bylaws and planning issues through locally elected councillors MP for Darwen Janet Anderson wrote to Blackburn with Darwen Council chief Graham Burgess asking for a referendum shortly after the election.

She said: "I have long been in favour of such a proposal which would help to restore a sense of identity to the town of Darwen in which I have lived for 15 years. Darwen is a proud and independent town which deserves its own voice."

Andrew McAllister, president of the Darwen Chamber of Trade, has supported the idea, claiming a town council would make Darwen a more attractive place for investment.

Coun Dave Smith said there were pros and cons to a town council and wanted to get the matter into the open.

He said: "I have not made my mind up and that's one of the reasons I've brought it forward is to get an idea of what people want. At the election that is one of the things For Darwen promised so I want to see if people want it."

Coun Kate Hollern said: "One of the opposition parties campaigned for this during the elections. We hadn't heard anything about it since so we want to give people the opportunity to make their views known."

The motion was one of three which the opposition Labour party succeeded with at Thursday night's full council meeting.

Another was a pledge, put forward by Couns Dave Hollings and Maureen Bateson, to support the Redearth Triangle site as the best location for the Darwen Academy.

Four members of the ruling coalition were absent - reducing their majority from 33 to 29 councillors overall.