A BID to secure Portas Pilot status for Darwen could be detrimental, town councillors say.

MP Jake Berry launched a bid to win £85,000 of funding for the town centre as part of Government town centre regeneration guru Mary Portas’s project.

But a meeting of town councillors heard that the implications of such a bid would suggest the town centre was failing.

Clare Turner, town centres manager for Blackburn with Darwen Council, also said a bid was unlikely to succeed against bids from neighbouring towns that were worse off.

Ms Turner said: “Darwen will struggle to win the bid, but if it did, it could end up looking worse. Darwen has low vacancy rates on town centre shop units and has a good economy, particularly at night.

"The project could be detrimental to Darwen’s reputation.”

Coun Phil Jones said: “We are not run-down, we are pretty decent and this scheme could damage our reputation.”

MP Jake Berry launched a bid to win £85,000 of funding for the town centre as part of Government town centre regeneration guru Mary Portas’s project.

But a meeting of town councillors heard that the implications of such a bid would suggest the town centre was failing.

Clare Turner, town centres manager for Blackburn with Darwen Council, also said a bid was unlikely to succeed against bids from neighbouring towns that were worse off.

Ms Turner said: “Darwen will struggle to win the bid, but if it did, it could end up looking worse. Darwen has low vacancy rates on town centre shop units and has a good economy, particularly at night.

"The project could be detrimental to Darwen’s reputation.”

Coun Phil Jones said: “We are not run-down, we are pretty decent and this scheme could damage our reputation.”