BLACKBURN Borough Council is still in the dark as to when it will be granted unitary status.

Environment Secretary John Gummer has confirmed that Blackburn and Darwen will run their own affairs and break away from county control but is yet to set a date.

It is anticipated that Blackburn will be up and running as a unitary authority by April 1998 but Mr Gummer is unlikely to confirm that until the House of Commons breaks up for summer recess.

On being granted unitary status, council leader Malcolm Doherty described it as "the best news we could have hoped for."

He added: "It just shows what we, and the people of Blackburn and Darwen, have been saying for years - that unitary status is best for local people and will deliver services that will be locally accountable.

"I am delighted that the Government has listened to local people and upheld the arguments put forward by the council and endorsed by the Local Government Commission. We can now put all the uncertainty behind us."

In his statement to the Commons, Mr Gummer said: "As a former county borough, Blackburn has a history of unitary local government. There is good evidence that Blackburn would operate effectively as a unitary authority.

"There is a strong local identification with the two towns of Blackburn and Darwen within the borough and support for unitary status.

With a population of 138,300, the borough would be able to provide the full range of services and its economic future could, I believe, be more effectively addressed by a strong unitary authority."

But Lancashire County Council leader Louise Ellman said she will continue to campaign for the status quo and condemned the announcement as "an irresponsible decision which will cost the taxpayer dear."

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