THE steady transformation of Blackburn town centre is a sight which excites Blackburn MP Jack Straw. T

he Foreign Secretary has been MP for the area since 1979, and worked for his predecessor, Barbara Castle, for many years before that.

After a week which has seen calls for Lord Square to be demolished and council bosses unveiling their visions for the future, Mr Straw outlines his hopes and dreams for the town...

"IF it's old, knock it down." That was the conventional wisdom in the immediate post war decades.

It was the only way, it was argued, to give people cleaner, more "modern" surroundings and Blackburn was no different from almost every similar town, except that because it often (and commendably) is ahead of the game it got in earlier and went a bit faster than many.

Down came much grot, but also a rather fine market hall and Italianate bell tower; down came Thwaites shopping arcade and much else which could and should have been saved.

Then those awful white lavatorial tiles started to fall off the cladding of the new centre (and the town hall tower).

For some time, in the late 70s and early 80s, the state of the town centre seemed to reflect the overall mood in the town - slipping back, like its (then) Third Division football team.

Happily, things have changed for the better, thanks to good work by the council, the developer, the Blackburn Partnership and many individual business people.

The shopping centre is of better quality overall, crucially, the two halves of the centre, once separated by Church Street, are now being linked together.

The new station is an excellent example of good modern design, and really lifts the spirit.

Once all the new works are finished (along with the new road system), Blackburn will have a centre of which it can be proud.

But It is crucial that we do not sit back. Town centres only prosper if they are lively, responsive places and change as the public's attitudes and standards change. So what do we need to sustain the centre?

First, more office employment. The decision of Capita to build a new office development near Sudell Cross is very important for the long term viability of the centre as a whole.

The 1,000 extra jobs are obviously important in themselves. But, as important, is that these 1,000 will be working in the centre, spending money at lunchtime and in the early evening.

If the centre is attractive enough, this will then encourage their families and friends to shop in Blackburn. But it is an 'if' the town has to meet. With luck, you will get a circle of more restaurants and cafes, more higher quality shops, an increased buzz around the place. The new office accommodation may encourage others to move into town and in turn help to firm up office rents, a key to encouraging more development. There were two things that stood out forcibly about Blackburn when I first got to know the town 27 years ago. The first was that it had a strong sense of itself; the second that it feels that it is a special place.

It's right about both. These characteristics have given the town the edge over the years. A great deal has visibly been done in the last 15 years to improve he town, but as ever it will require constant effort to stay ahead.