Blackburn with Darwen is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Lancashire, North West England. The borough includes the towns of Blackburn and Darwen plus a wider rural area which includes the villages of Lower Darwen, Feniscowles, Brownhill and Hoddlesden.
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Formation
It was founded in 1974 as the Lancashire borough of Blackburn, from the County Borough of Blackburn, the Municipal Borough of Darwen, the parish of North Turton from Turton Urban District (chiefly the villages of Belmont, Chapeltown and Edgworth) and parts of Blackburn Rural District. It was renamed in May 1997, in preparation for a split from Lancashire County Council. On 1 April 1998 it became a unitary authority.
Demographics
Religion
According to the 2021 census, 38.0% of the population was Christian, 35.0% Muslim, 0.3% Hindu, 0.2% Buddhist, 0.4% followed another religions (including Judaism, Sikhism and others), 21.1% were not affiliated to a religion and 5.0% did not state their religious views.
Governance
The council is based at Blackburn Town Hall on King William Street in the centre of Blackburn. As a unitary authority, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council provides most local government services. Parts of the borough are covered by civil parishes, which provide a lower tier of local government.
Economy
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Blackburn with Darwen at current basic prices published Archived 22 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.
Settlements
Civil parishes
Darwen (town council)
Eccleshill
Livesey
North Turton
Pleasington
Tockholes
Yate and Pickup Bank
The town of Blackburn and the village of Hoddlesden lie in unparished areas.
Education
As a unitary authority, Blackburn with Darwen authority has a statutory responsibility for educational standards and schooling within its boundaries.
Transport
Blackburn with Darwen Council has a stated transport policy of "making roads traffic free".
Freedom of the Borough
The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen.
Individuals
Barbara Castle: 23 November 1979.
Sir Charles Fletcher-Cooke: 23 November 1979.
Tom Taylor, Baron Taylor of Blackburn: 2 April 1992.
Jack Straw: 1 October 2015.
Military Units
The East Lancashire Regiment: 5 February 1948.
The Lancashire Regiment: 6 November 1958.
The Queen's Lancashire Regiment: 25 March 1970.
The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment: 1 July 2006.