REGARDING your article, 'M-way leisure complex raises fears for town centre trade' (LET, October 15), how can First Leisure be so selfish?

The complex would be of great benefit to the residents of Blackburn and the surrounding areas and would give youngsters a place to go rather than hanging around street corners.

I know that I for one are fed up of having to travel to Preston or Bolton to a decent cinema and to Burnley for a bowling alley.

Are First Leisure frightened of a little competition causing "serious impact upon the viability and vitality of the town centre?"

As for the proposed leisure complex undermining the worth of First Leisure's businesses both in financial terms and also our compliance with planning policies, why was their large bingo hall built in the town centre? Perhaps to 'undermine the worth' of smaller town-centre bingo halls already standing?

I believe that trade in Blackburn centre will only be affected minimally and if 350 new jobs will be created in addition, then, the development can only be another step forward for Blackburn.

S BRUNT (Miss), Thorncliffe Drive, Darwen.

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