DARWEN’S town council is looking to launch a new initiative to bring more visitors to the town.

The council hopes to build its own website, called Visit Darwen.

Organisers said they wanted to show off the town’s proud heritage, with sites of interest possibly including Darwen Tower, India Mill, nearby Turton Tower, and even the soon-to-be-erected Spitfire, being built by apprentice engineers at WEC and planned to be put up in the near future.

Coun Trevor Maxfield, who sits on both Darwen Town Council and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said there was no specific section of www.visitblackburn.co.uk for Darwen.

He said: “Blackburn’s website doesn’t have anything specific to Darwen, so it makes sense to get something of our own, especially if it is funded by the town council.”

He said the Darwen Shop and Business Association had originally bought the www.visitdarwen.co.uk domain but it was never really used, and it told Blackburn with Darwen Council it could have it.

“But two years down the line, nothing has happened,” said Coun Maxfield.

He said: “It wouldn’t involve enormous costs, either.

"It’s a one-off fee for the domain name then, when it comes to hosting, we can get a deal, like we have for the town council website.”

The site, which would be called www.visitdarwen.com, would feature links to the town’s attractions, business and hotels, as well as organisations such as the various friends groups in the town.

Deputy chairman of Darwen Town Council Steve Duncan said: “Darwen has got a lot to offer. It’s a traditional market town that isn’t much different from how it was 30 years ago, but it’s been brought up to date in terms of the shops that are there.

“There’s live music every weekend around the pubs, which a lot of towns don’t have these days, and Darwen Live which this year drew people from as far away as Southampton.

“You don’t have to go far and you’re on the moors, and there’s all the park spaces. There are also places for fishing, horse riding, walkers, runners and cyclists, and everything’s free.

“You name it, Darwen’s got it.”