Re ‘Blackburn’s landmark mill to be demolished’ (LT, April 18).

The Sappi paper mill chimney is the last of Blackburn’s great mill chimneys to go (even in its currently reduced height form).

It would be a nice nod from the developers to keep the chimney (it sits in woodland so shouldn’t be too obtrusive in any new design) as it is visible from a huge number of vantage points around the town.

We’ve already lost two of our last chimneys in the last 18 months at Pioneer Mill and Fortuna Mill.

Blackburn once had 157 weaving mills, 28 spinning mills, nine reed and heald factories, four or five flour mills, 11 brickyards and nine or 10 paper mills – all with chimneys.

That makes 220 chimneys in all and that is some really significant history that we've lost. This is one of the last chances we have to save these huge monu-ments to the industry that made the town. They’re more evocative than any public art could hope to be.

I suggest that the council applies for some form of heritage grant or part of the deal is that the new owners agree as part of a ‘local cultural sensitivity package’. Or maybe Blackburn with Darwen Council could ask Burnley for some advice, as it has managed to retain at least 12 full-sized chimneys and has been granted millions to restore and regenerate areas of that town steeped in industrial heritage.

J.O’M (via email).