COUNCILLORS have hit out at delays over a new bus station for Rawtenstall.

Rossendale's Lancashire Local meeting was told that the plans for the new station in Bacup Road were no nearer than two years ago.

And the meeting was told that plans to amalgamate it with the new £33million Valley shopping centre meant that it would be delayed still further while traffic issues were rectified.

A county councillor claimed that residents would be waiting "forever" for their new bus station if Rossendale Council did not get to work on ironing out the problems.

County Councillor Bob Wilkinson said he was "utterly frustrated" that the borough council had not been able to agree plans for the Valley Centre within a reasonable timescale.

He said: "The county council doesn't want to be criticised at a later stage for the bus station being in the wrong place. They should give us some indications as to what they perceive the Valley Centre to be, or at least the position of it, and then we can go ahead with building the bus station.

"It's utterly frustrating. If we keep waiting for Rossendale we will be waiting forever."

Coun Judith Driver said Rossendale Council now had to go back to consultation with bus companies and Lancashire County Council, while taking stock of the situation regarding the Valley Centre.

She said: "I don't want us to get this wrong.

"I was on the initial committee which discussed the bus station several years ago.

"And I really feel that we are in a vicious circle. To a degree I can see where Coun Wilkinson is coming from.

"We really do need to make some decisions now about what we are doing because it has gone on so long and the existing bus station is in such a terrible condition.

"From a Lancashire County Council point of view they have allocated the money and they want to see some sort of action.

"But the two projects have to be tied together and all the traffic elements from the shopping centre have to be factored in for the bus station."

The out-dated 1960s precint the Valley centre is to be re-developed to create a multi-storey car park for a minimum of 300 vehicles, leisure facilities and 65,000sq ft of shops.