[Busman747]

With all the talk about the Panopticon here over the last couple of months, I am surprised that no one has mentioned the Darwen Tower. (Apologies if I have missed a post)

When I moved up north, it was the one thing that stood out as a perfectly placed Panopticon (although 100 years ago, the term wasn't invented) It stands above Darwen/Blackburn and is viewed my thousands of motorists driving along the A56 and M65 every day.

From a certain angle, it so closely resembles a 60's rocket despite its age.

The question I must ask is after over 100 years, how much investment has it brought into county? I would guess nil!

Likewise, "OSSYWOOD" is going to bring in locals to view as soon as it hits the papers but apart from perhaps a short-term additional turnover for the local tobacconists, no one would invest serious money because of either sites of local interest.

Sorry Gayle but the whole scheme of the Panopticon stinks! There is the government (any government) that cannot find the finance for essential services but distribute millions of ££££££'s to quango's with the instructions, "spend this or don't get any next year!" They look at stupid schemes to spend their (our) money on and that is what this whole "Panopticon" scheme is about.

For those that say "Oh, If we don't spend it, we will lose it" I say, "throw it back to the government, stop wasting our money on follies!!"

It is insane that the phoenix developement is floundering, N.H.S. Dentists are on the "About to become extinct" list, I am fed up of seeing a nurse instead of a G.P. Community wardens are a threatened species, Bins are emptied fortnightly instead of weekly, There is so much wrong with our way of life and these things should be our priority! Not a so called attraction out of town that is sure to encourage more of our money into advertising and strings pulled to get other quango's to release their money............(our money)