FOR too long East Lancashire's district councils have wasted time and energy fighting each other.

Such squabbling has been blamed for diluting the area's effectiveness when it comes to competing with other regions for government funds urgently needed for new projects.

In that sense, today's news that senior staff from Blackburn and Darwen Council are to take a pivotal role in a wide range of Hyndburn regeneration projects is good news.

There are many projects like improving the region's housing and developing areas that straddle boundaries like Whitebirk, in which what Hyndburn council leader Peter Britcliffe calls "collaboration" will have obvious benefits. Councils will be able to share strengths and Hyndburn should genuinely benefit from the expertise which Blackburn with Darwen has gained over recent years.

But there are bound to be some developments where interests of the two neighbouring areas conflict.

Blackburn and Accrington have shopping centres which are in direct competition with each other for a start.

Quite how officers employed by one authority will work to promote the interests of another without perhaps upsetting people in both areas remains to be seen.