REGARDING the article "Council Art Clause 'blackmail claim,'" (LET, December 7), I found the quoted remarks of a minority of councillors not only highly philistine, but rather confused.

If Blackburn is sincerely concerned with development and regeneration, the words themselves need to be defined and understood.

Oxford Dictionary -- Development: Gradual unfolding...make or become fuller...stage of advancement. Regeneration: Invest with new and higher spiritual nature, breathe new and more vigorous and higher life.

The two words used in conjunction would suggest the desire to achieve by plan of action, higher values and greater dynamic. In consideration of the fact that Blackburn has been deprived of visual artistic input since Victorian times, any attempt to redress the balance of the cultural aesthetic to the practical mundane should be welcomed with open arms.

One per cent is a ridiculously small and pathetic contribution to make towards this aim.

Perhaps some of the councillors should consider what made the outstanding civilisations of the world great and remembered in history. Don't we still admire the sheer wealth of artistic, cultural and intellectual endeavour?

How many people see early Chinese or Greek-Roman 'statues' as an eyesore? They became 'neglected' for thousands of years.

If materials and methods are sound I cannot see any long term problems with any contemporary sculpture 'statues' or paintings.

The only contemporary problem I envisage would be from the thuggery of philistines with sour comments or spray cans.

Possibly we have a lot to learn from the priorities of great civilisations and maybe a lot of endeavour needs to be made to warrant the use of 'great' in Great Britain.' In many respects we are lagging way behind the truly 'great' civilisations of the past.

I wonder what the Roman Senate would have made of the present bandying around of contemporary catchphrases such as 'modernisation' (in terms of socio-economics) and 'cost effectiveness.' I don't think 'Watling Street' would have ever got built, let alone the public baths in Bath, and as for all those mosaics and statues, can Rome really afford it?

Let us have some art and culture in this town, its is long overdue.

PETER CUNLIFFE, Edgeware Road, Revidge, Blackburn.