REGARDING Blackburn's bid to be awarded city status in the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations, it would be the best moment of my life if it was achieved.

With a very beautiful cathedral, Blackburn has a better chance than Preston, Bolton and others.

The town centre development is a little behind those of Preston and Bolton. The bus station is badly planned -- it should have been built like the one in Preston, with the latest state-of-the-art building, with bus bays, shops, restaurants and toilets all in one place.

The shopping centre in Blackburn is not finished. Lord Square should have been completed by the council and Standard Life and Barbara Castle Way is not linked with the M65 at Whitebirk.

When the Tories were in power from 1979-1997, they poured money into Blackburn, with City Challenge, the Single Regeneration Budget, the M65 extension to link with the M6 and M61.

What have Labour and Blackburn Council done? They have abandoned the shopping centre and linking Barbara Castle Way with the M65.

MR M DANNY,Wilson Street, Kirklees, West Yorkshire.