I UNDERSTAND from the 1991 census that the population of the Borough of Blackburn and Darwen was at its lowest for several decades.

Could a town and country planning expert please explain why, travelling around the area, we see more and more Barratt-type estates sprawling out into our precious countryside in all directions? Especially when there is supposed to be a slump in the housing market, high unemployment and a general recession.

Recently we learned of the proposed 500-house Craven Farm 'village' which will finally cement Darwen to Blackburn with only the motorway between. It is a similar picture with Hyndburn to the east.

At this rate the map of East Lancashire will soon be a uniform grey with the only isolated patches of green being playing fields, golf courses and the odd uninhabitable hilltop designated a 'country park.'

I note that in Blackburn's draft local plan, 'wildlife corridors' are having to be created to enable wild creatures to move through the area. They certainly won't want to stay.

Apparently Blackburn 'needs' another 6,000 houses over the next 10 years. Why? Obviously it is more profitable to build on green-field sites.

Are unwanted houses towards the centres of towns being demolished at a similar rate? What is happening to the derelict spaces thus created?

ALEX HEEDE, Old School Lane, Tockholes.

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