Blackburn Town Centre is on the verge of substantial change. The new extension to The Mall shopping centre opens this summer and there is so much riding on it being a success.

The Tithebarn development in Preston threatens that success – and potentially the jobs of workers in Blackburn and surrounding areas.

No one blames Preston for wanting to grow but that shouldn’t be at the expense of other towns in Lancashire.

The Tithebarn development will have a negative effect on Blackburn, Blackpool, Chorley and Leyland. It will undermine everything we have tried to achieve over the last two decades. All the growth and regeneration we have fought so hard to get will be wiped out.

People will say this is sour grapes but as a member of Blackburn Partnership Board I get many complaints that we don’t have enough ‘big names’ or choice in the town centre.

This Preston development will not only make it unlikely that the names people want will ever come, but we could lose names that already have a presence.

The people of Blackburn, if they want a strong, successful town centre, need to start shouting from the rooftops about our new centre rather than ‘drumming it down’. We must also appreciate and understand the threats on our doorstep and what the consequences could be.

The opening of the new Mall and further regeneration projects should be something we are proud of, and I promise that the Blackburn Town Centre Partnership will continue fighting for the wellbeing of this proud town.

Philip Ainsworth Blackburn Town Centre Partnership Board.