They claimed Blackburn was the focus for economic development and the priority in council planning and that their town was treated as nothing less than a backwater.

Mind you these complaints were made with increasing strength - to such an extent that when the borough became a unitary authority the name was Blackburn WITH Darwen and not merely 'and' which would have put the town in a definite second place.

Today's news that Capita plan to base 230 staff - and hopefully eventually 400 - inside Darwen's India Mill to work on the newly acquired BBC television licence contract promises a real boost to a town where white collar jobs are even more scarce than in Blackburn.

And as council leader Bill Taylor points out the influx of so many office workers will inevitably help to regenerate the town centre of Darwen, which is only a short walk from India Mill, by bringing in service jobs and even attracting other employers to the area.

In the seven months since their 15 year, £205million contract with the council was signed Capita say they have already created 400 new white-collar jobs including additional council staff and a benefits handling centre in Glenfield Park.

And they are looking again at plans for a five storey building near Blackburn town centre because it may not now be large enough to cope with the business they may generate.

All of this is great news for the whole of the borough.

And the prospect of such a landmark for our once great textile industry as India Mill - with its famous monumental chimney - becoming the 21st century beacon for a new form of employment and prosperity is heartening indeed.

FOR many years Darwen's councillors and residents have grumbled that they have been the poor relations to 'big brother' Blackburn.

They claimed Blackburn was the focus for economic development and the priority in council planning and that their town was treated as a backwater.

Mind you, these complaints were made with increasing strength - to such an extent that when the borough became a unitary authority the name was Blackburn WITH Darwen and not merely 'and', which would have put the town in a definite second place.

Today's news that Capita plan to base 230 staff - and hopefully eventually 400 - inside Darwen's India Mill to work on the newly acquired BBC television licence contract promises a real boost to a town where white-collar jobs are even more scarce than in Blackburn.

And as council leader Bill Taylor points out the influx of so many office workers will inevitably help to regenerate the town centre of Darwen, which is only a short walk from India Mill, by bringing in service jobs and even attracting other employers to the area.

In the seven months since their 15 year, £205million contract with the council was signed Capita say they have already created 400 new white-collar jobs including additional council staff and a benefits handling centre in Glenfield Park.

And they are looking again at plans for a five-storey building near Blackburn town centre because it may not now be large enough to cope with the business they may generate. All of this is great news for the whole of the borough.

And the prospect of such a landmark for our once great textile industry as India Mill - with its famous monumental chimney - becoming the 21st century beacon for a new form of employment and prosperity is heartening indeed.