A SIX-YEAR plan to boost business in Blackburn with Darwen, creating 2,700 jobs, has been officially unveiled.

Hundreds of business leaders from across the borough gathered at Accrol Papers yesterday for the launch of Blackburn with Darwen: A Plan for Prosperity.

The plan, essentially a blueprint for business growth in the borough from now until 2020, has been prepared by the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) in conjunction with the council and business leaders network Hive.

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And businessmen and women were told how the plan focuses on five key priorities; infrastructure and housing, business investment and innovation, employability, quality of life and image and marketing.

Opening the launch event at the Roman Road firm, chairman of the LSP Mo Isap said: “This is a journey that we have been on for nearly two years.

“This is not a reactive measure. This is not something we are doing because the economy has had a downturn.

“This is about tapping into a unique mix in our borough and creating something we can call our own.

“Many of our top talents are lost to us because they do not find places where they want to bring their children up.

“We want to say to every business in this borough that we will achieve growth.

“For too long we have had this self-fulfilling prophecy and we have seen ourselves as a small town in the backwater of Lancashire.

“We are creating 2,700 new jobs, more than 3,000 new homes, homes for those who want to stay in the borough.

“We are not going to allow for our town to be talked down any more.

“We are all going to be part of this journey.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council director of regeneration Brian Bailey said: “These are the things we are committed to doing.

“The old motto ‘by skill and hard work’ applies and this is about being confident.

“The cry is ‘we are open for business’. We always will be.

“Let’s work together to achieve a more prosperous Blackburn with Darwen.”

During the launch there were speeches from bosses at Accrol, as well as Darwen firms Multihog and WEC, about how they fit in with the Plan for Prosperity.

WEC director Wayne Wild said: “One of the reasons I am here is because I am exceptionally proud of being from this area.

“I followed the ‘yellow brick road’ and moved to Birmingham and then Sheffield for work, but I came back and I am very proud of the area.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Kate Hollern said: “We need to get schools to work closer with employers to get young people interested.

“We need to make sure young people know what is out there.”