BLACKBURN with Darwen planning committee chairman, Councillor Frank Connor (Letters, September 15) sheds no light whatsoever on the real reasons why Labour councillors voted en bloc to support North West Water's bid to 'develop' the fields of Guide and Fishmoor reservoirs.

Previously, I alluded to the good fortune of residents in the Watery Lane area of Darwen that the planning committee came to a different decision from that relating to Guide. Councillor Connor says the circumstances of the two applications were entirely different. Perhaps.

But he did not demonstrate what those differences are. The question remains to be answered: what exactly are the differences between the applications relating to Springwood Nursery and Guide/Fishmoor reservoir fields?

Coun Connor's remarks also raise a question as to the detrimental effect upon the residents of Guide of such massive development. Again, no attempt is made to answer or reveal the weighting given to 'detrimental effect'.

The only publicly stated reason for dancing to North West Water's tune is the possibility of 1,000 jobs.

Well, they would say that wouldn't they? If pouring concrete on to those fields results in 1,000 new and permanent jobs for the people of Blackburn then Father Christmas truly exists. The town has dozens of acres still available for industrial and commercial development. Why spoil attractive meadowland?

In fact, the biggest concern about jobs is not whether a few can be created here and there, but the alarming rates of losses directly attributable to the policies of the government.

If Labour councillors are concerned about jobs they should be asking Jack Straw why the North is, once again, being crucified in order to deal with supposed problems mainly arising in the South East.

Coun Connor says he works hard and I believe him. He will admit he is heavily dependent upon the public servants working in the planning department.

And there's the rub. Perhaps councillors are too dependent on the advice and guidance given to them.

One wonders about the Byzantine process by which North West Water managed to emerge with a new development plan that changes the designation of Guide fields from 'allocated for tree planting' to one of 'mixed development' on the emerging plan, and without public consultation -- all the while public servants, answerable in theory to council taxpayers have been mostly unhelpful to Guide residents seeking information.

DAVE WHALLEY (Chairman, Guide Residents' Association), Blackamoor Road, Guide, Blackburn.

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