ROY Davies presented his petition for 'independence' for Darwen (LET, November 11) in the same week as nursery places for every three and four-year-old in Darwen were announced.

Darwen is the only town in the country to have this guarantee, apart from Blackburn, because of a commitment made by Blackburn with Darwen Council. Darwen children and families will be getting the best deal in Britain as part of Blackburn with Darwen Council.

The petition comes in the same month as the announcement of £15million for a new state-of-the-art health centre for Darwen, which Blackburn with Darwen Council has secured from our partners in the Health Service.

Mr Davies often complains that the kind of money the council has secured for redeveloping Church Street does not come to Darwen. The new health centre will cost ten times the amount spent on Church Street. I assume Mr Davies will celebrating -- or perhaps not.

This autumn 500 new jobs have been created at India Mill in Darwen on the back of Blackburn with Darwen Council's partnership with Capita.

Capita was not interested in a partnership with a smaller council, so those jobs would never have come to Darwen if we had not been part of Blackburn with Darwen.

Far from Darwen losing out because of its links with Blackburn, time after time Darwen receives investment and services it would never have were it to be 'independent.'

COUNCILLOR DAVE HOLLINGS, (Sunnyhurst Ward), Sudell Road, Darwen.