REGARDING the proposal to open a drug rehabilitation centre in Bridge Street, Darwen, in recent years this street has had a considerable amount of money spent on it so that people can shop in comfort without the worry of traffic, particularly the elderly and those with young children.

It should also soon become a thoroughfare for many shoppers who will be using the new proposed supermarket on Redearth Road.

While I appreciate that centres of this kind are no doubt necessary, our only town centre shopping precinct would not appear to be a suitable place to house one.

Darwen is a small town and any local people needing the services of this project may well prefer a more discreet location. The title of the charitable group involved implies that addicts from throughout Lancashire could also be invited to use the facility, which, in turn, would inevitably lead to the purveyors of these poisons being attracted to the vulnerable residents like bees to a honeypot, with the resulting intimidation which could occur.

Darwen can do without this prospect. The interests of both addicts and local residents will not be properly served by siting such a facility on this prime shopping street.

I would like to ask the spokesperson for the East Anglian charity who are the 'several councillors' she has spoken to who were 'very supportive' of the proposal, also whether any Darwen residents or local shopkeepers were approached for their views.

Perhaps she could also supply us with the address of the centre in East Anglia so that Darwen townspeople can make their own inquiries as to how this has affected the population there.

Since public funding will no doubt be involved, surely local people have some rights to at least have the opportunity to air their views on such an important proposal, which could have a very serious impact on the welfare of the people in this town.

O POOLE, Darwen (full address received)

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.