OUR council wastes large amounts of money on schemes which do not benefit the public and are not practical.

Maybe someone will enlighten me as to why and when the council applies for various grants, the money is 100 per cent earmarked for use in Blackburn.

Projects in Blackburn are apparently just a matter of thinking of a number between one and 20 and adding six zeros. Darwen's share of any cash is nothing more than peanuts by comparison at about £30,000 per project.

For example:

1. Victoria Tower, £30K.

2. Bold Venture Aviary, £30K.

3. Market Hall clock, £30K.

4. Ashton (folly) railway, £30K.

5. Town Centre bus shelters, £30K.

6. Bus Station sculpture (now illuminated), £27K.

Last but not least the grunt and groan library automatic doors, cost unknown (must be as cheap as the Market Hall main doors). The total cost of all this is approximately HALF of what was spent on Fleming Square, Blackburn.

F CROMPTON (Mr), Lightbown Street, Darwen.