SEVEN-DAY free or cut-price car parking for town centre shoppers and workers is on the agenda if a bid to give traders a pot of cash to spend on improvements succeeds.

The Business Investment District (BID) plan identifies priority issues to tackle falling footfall and reduce the number of empty properties.

Organisers believe parking and traffic flow around central Blackburn are real issues for traders who, under the scheme, would gain real financial and decision-making power.

They are asking traders to vote ‘yes’ in a ballot to raise £1.5 million over five years through a one per cent levy on each firms’ rateable value to be spent by a steering committee of business leaders.

Exchange Coffee’s Mark Smith said: “I am passionate about parking as a key issue.This has been shown by the non-planned large town-centre car park at the back of Fleming Square which is full virtually every day now.

“If the BID is successful we will look at parking as a key issue for those people who want to bring their cars into town.’ Mall general manager and fellow steering committee member Loraine Jones said: “Parking is a real problem for people who come to work in the town centre. If we are going to attract new businesses, we need to find ways for staff to park economically.”

Business people have until next Friday to vote.

Blackburn with Darwen Council regeneration boss Maureen Bateson said: “The council has already introduced free parking on Saturdays on all council-owned car parks and we are looking at a number of initiatives to support the town centre.”