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East Lancashire residents have been taking pride in where they live by revolutionising their back alleys. People living in Blackburn and Darwen have been sprucing-up their alleyways, painting the walls and adorning them with beautiful flower arrangements in a bid to keep their towns looking neat and tidy. Residents are sprucing up their back alleys in Blackburn and Darwen. Pic: Cath Ford Many of the people involved are also members of Keep Blackburn Tidy, a volunteer litter-picking group, and together they have formed a group called the Back Alley Fettlers. Cath Ford, one of the founding members of Blackburn group said the project is about creating community alley gardens and has been promoted by the town s Bureau Centre for the Arts.
FEARS have been raised over the future of two council-owned historic buildings damaged by fire in 2013 and 2019. Conservative councillor Derek Hardman is concerned no progress has been made in the renovation of Griffin Lodge and St Johns Church in Blackburn. The former, built in 1824, was hit by an arson attack in October 2013 leaving the building as a burned-out shell and another in January 2014 which destroyed the stables. The 18th Century St Johns Church in Victoria Street, which housed the Bureau Centre for the Arts, was devastated by a fire in April 2019. Cllr Hardman raised the issue at Thursday night s meeting of the Executive Board of Blackburn with Darwen Council which owns both buildings.