WHY is the council so unwilling to save one of Blackburn's most famous historical landmarks -- the old water tank at Revidge?

In essence, this feature may be no more than a redundant, old and mundane aspect of the town's water supply system. But in sentiment and reality, "The Tank" is part of Blackburn's identity -- and a monument to it.

Since it was built in 1897, there can have been hardly any Blackburnians who have not been at some time or other up to "t' Tank" to enjoy the magnificent views from it that range as far as North Wales, the Fylde coast, the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.

It is a singular surviving feature of the town's industrial heritage and an example of local craftsmanship.

And, in all, it probably means as much to Blackburn folk as Darwen's splendid Jubilee Tower means to Darreners. Doesn't the council realise this?

Certainly, the members of the town's Civic Society do -- they have marked the Revidge Tank with a prestigious blue plaque and two years ago recommended its restoration as one of the council's Millennium projects.

Yet, evidently, the council does not believe that it should be spared from demolition. And this is despite its owners, North West Water, agreeing to carry out £20,000-worth of repairs to the tank before handing it over to the council. Indeed, we find the council responding to this public-spiritedness by churlishly demanding another £30,000 from the water company in order to look after it, saying today it does not want the tank to be a burden on the taxpayers.

The fact is that, through such philistine outlooks, Blackburn has already allowed too much of its heritage to be destroyed. It can ill afford to lose what little is left. Perhaps, as was the case when it set about trying to shut the museum of the town's textile heritage, the council needs reminding by the people what greater value they set upon such things.