Darwen RSS Feed


Darwen Tower lights setback as just £300 raised so far

12:30pm Tuesday 7th July 2009


AN £80,000 plan to turn Jubilee Tower into a Blackpool-inspired landmark has failed to light up the imagination of the people of Darwen.

Liberal Democrat councillor Paul Browne proposed the scheme two years ago to cover the Beacon Hill site with bright lights.

Only £300 has been collected during the on-going fundraising drive.

Coun Browne said he had not been put off by the lack of interest.

He said: "It’s as well known as Blackpool Tower, so if it was lit up with bright lights it would put our town back on the map.

"At the next Darwen Council meeting, on July 22, I will be asking all the councillors to donate a month of expenses.”

The Sudell ward representative is convinced his plan would improve the economy of the town.

He said: “You can see the tower all over East Lancashire, so if it was lit up you’d get tourists flocking here.

"This can only be good news for Darwen.”

Anyone interested in contributing can call Coun Browne on 01254 701296, or e-mail paul.browne@ blackburn.gov.uk


More Darwen stories

Your Say YourCitizen

A Darener, Darwen says...
12:32pm Tue 7 Jul 09

Perhaps a wind turbine company might contribute by putting a turbine next to the tower to power the lights.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

A666, darwen says...
1:00pm Tue 7 Jul 09

Now that would start a bun fight!

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

CapitaBackHander, Darren says...
1:05pm Tue 7 Jul 09

Slight problem with this publicity stunt. We don't want people driving up to the tower to see what is lit up. We don't want to encourage people to drink up there under the lights. Surely the idea of visiting the tower is a lovelly walk across the moors which passes the Tower or is indeed the 'turning' point of the walk.
Why would anyone donate expenses when only £300 has been raised. Where will this money go when only £5000 has been raised?
Daft idea without ANY thinking involved.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

A Darener, Darwen says...
1:05pm Tue 7 Jul 09

Hooked one! Now reel 'em in.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

guardian, darwen says...
1:32pm Tue 7 Jul 09

Another problem: Darwen Town Councillors don't get any expenses ! So the amount raised will be NIL !!

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

guardian, darwen says...
1:52pm Tue 7 Jul 09

'Councillor Tony Melia..has drawn up plans to form a charitable trust to raise money towards the target' (Lancashire Telegraph Jan 2008).
'Coun Melia hopes to gather donations through fundraising events with collections at the annual Darwen Music Live, and said the council could be asked to match any funds.'
Maybe an LT reporter could ask Coun Melia how much has been raised by the trust ?? This could be added to the £300 raised by Coun Browne.
Or maybe this was just another empty 'For Darwen Party promise ??

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

amazed, Darwen says...
1:58pm Tue 7 Jul 09

It is an ambitious scheme. How to get power up there in the first place. I think Paul is also a bit "over the top" with his idea that it will turn Darwen into Blackpool!! I think that if the Tower was light it would be a beacon but have reservations about the druggies as already stated. I am sure many people will have admired Holcombe Tower in Rossendale. It looks very well at night and that is what I would have expected Darwen Tower to be. Funding: Let the money come out of the rates - it is too much to expect it to be done from public contributions and who will maintain it if it was done?

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

hasslem hasslem, lower cumberworth says...
2:55pm Tue 7 Jul 09

I may be talking nonsense (a tradition normally wonderfully upheld by Guardian) but didn't the tower used to be lit up at night?

What a strange comment from Paul Browne about expenses. One of the thing that was clear from the meetings was (in my understanding) that no expenses will be paid.

Anyway, toodle pip...I am off to the Burj-Al Arab.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

The Artful Labourer, Lower Darwen says...
2:58pm Tue 7 Jul 09

Take a leaf out of Blackpool's book when they painted the Tower Gold for a year. A couple of coats of luminous paint and problem solved! ;-)

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

OBT2, says...
5:20pm Tue 7 Jul 09

Maybe glow in the dark paint might be more cost effective. It generates it's own power and no need for a wind turbine either!

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

Opti, Darwen says...
6:13pm Tue 7 Jul 09

Only £300 raised, the people have spoken.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

Andy B, Darwen says...
6:31pm Tue 7 Jul 09

What a very short memory Paul Browne has.
As the duly elected Chair for the first ever Darwen Parish Council meeting he categorically stated that no expenses would be claimed by the Parish Councillors.
Mind you it is easy to say when you are claiming expenses from the Borough Council.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

amazed, Darwen says...
7:14pm Tue 7 Jul 09

Why has everything to be turned into a political ping-pong.
The matter is about the lighting or non-lighting of Darwen Tower not about Paul Browne and his mayor-making, Tony Melia's election promises et al.
As for Aslam Aslam. As far as I can remember the Tower has only been floodlit once and that was for H.M. The Queen's 50 years on the throne (? I stand to be corrected) and if he is going to where I think he is going, he has more money than sense. I believe the food is rubbish!

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

NoPolitics, says...
7:45pm Tue 7 Jul 09

How out of touch can these idiots be. No money, no interest and no chance of this thing taking off. Still it gets good headlines and in some perverse way lends legitimacy to the Darwen Administration.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

hasslem hasslem, lower cumberworth says...
11:32pm Tue 7 Jul 09

amazed wrote:
Why has everything to be turned into a political ping-pong. The matter is about the lighting or non-lighting of Darwen Tower not about Paul Browne and his mayor-making, Tony Melia's election promises et al. As for Aslam Aslam. As far as I can remember the Tower has only been floodlit once and that was for H.M. The Queen's 50 years on the throne (? I stand to be corrected) and if he is going to where I think he is going, he has more money than sense. I believe the food is rubbish!
Amazed - the memory dims but i was brought up on the anchor and am sure that in my teens that i can rember a glow around the tower in the 1970s. It could have been inspired by woodpecker cider and 20 consulate, I admit.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

A Darener, Darwen says...
10:23am Wed 8 Jul 09

hasslem hasslem wrote:
amazed wrote: Why has everything to be turned into a political ping-pong. The matter is about the lighting or non-lighting of Darwen Tower not about Paul Browne and his mayor-making, Tony Melia's election promises et al. As for Aslam Aslam. As far as I can remember the Tower has only been floodlit once and that was for H.M. The Queen's 50 years on the throne (? I stand to be corrected) and if he is going to where I think he is going, he has more money than sense. I believe the food is rubbish!
Amazed - the memory dims but i was brought up on the anchor and am sure that in my teens that i can rember a glow around the tower in the 1970s. It could have been inspired by woodpecker cider and 20 consulate, I admit.
The glow you saw was probably from the many grass fires lit by idiots on the moors every summer.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

Comments are closed on this article.



Local advertisers

Local Information

Enter your postcode, town or place name

House prices »   Schools »   Crime »   Hospitals »