COUNCILLORS thanked a Darwen man who has been succesful in a long campaign to save a local playing field from development.

Harry Blackwell, of Dandy Row, had been concerned for years that the Square Meadow, which was a community playing field when he was a youngster, would be sold off for development, along with the Darwen Moorland High School site, in Holden Fold.

But he was recently told the site would be kept separate from the school, and used as a community sports facility, with Mr Blackwell asked to form a committee in charge of running the site.

At Tuesday’s meeting of Darwen Town Council, mayor Eileen Entwistle said: “I would like to thank you Harry for all your efforts.

“You have been at it for a long time, and we are all really pleased you have been successful.”

As reported in the Lancashire Telegraph recently, Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Kate Hollern, and Darwen councillor Frank Connor, met with Mr Blackwell to tell him the good news. Mr Blackwell told councillors: “I would like to thank Frank Connor for setting up the meeting with Kate Hollern, and everyone at the council who has given me their help and support.

“I have had meetings with the council already, and my heart leapt with joy last week when the grass was cut for the first time.

“I am now hoping to get a lot of rakes, and volunteers, to go in and move the grass that has been cut.”