MARTIN Callaghan (Letters, October 11) says that Darwen is never included in Blackburn with Darwen Council's bids for government funding such as Single Regeneration Budget. In fact, Darwen was included in the council's first successful SRB bid.

This money was used to pay for things such as building the Access Point opposite ICI and the construction of the Eccleshill Link Road, which opened the north eastern part of the town up for new investment and jobs.

Since then, the Darwen schools centred on Moorland High School were included in the council's Education Action Zone. Those parents who went to the open evening on October 3 for children going up to secondary school next year will have seen the excellent facilities this has brought to the school. The benefits from the zone are now being extended to the schools centred around Darwen Vale.

The Sudell and central Darwen areas were the first to be nominated by the Council as a Sure Start area. The recent completion of the Lord Street Family Centre is a £1.2million investment in the children of Darwen.

If Mr Callaghan looks out of his bedroom window he will see the recently completed £1.4million restoration of India Mill. More than 500 new jobs have been created on this site. Most of these jobs would not be there if Capita had not chosen Blackburn with Darwen Council as its North West partner.

Overall, around £5million of new investment is going into Darwen this year alone as a result of bids made by Blackburn with Darwen Council. There is much more to be done, but it is just not true to say that the council does not bid for money for Darwen.

I also do not agree that 'Darwen has been slowly run into the ground.' I was brought up in Darwen in the Seventies. I am mightily glad that my kids are growing up in Darwen as it is now instead of how it was then.

COUNCILLOR DAVE HOLLINGS (Sunnyhurst Ward), Sudell Road, Darwen.