It was only a matter of time before Marks and Spencer moved out of the town centre.

News that the store was closing its doors in the town centre and moving to a purpose built out-of-town retail park was a shock to some. 

I recollect first going into the store in the 80s and while everything has changed around it, the retailer stood the test of time. But it could not go on like this.

Changing shopping habits means people are most likely to shop online or want to travel where there is parking.

The issue of parking appears to be something that is brought up again and again. Why would I pay a couple of quid to come to the town centre to shop when I can drive 10 minutes somewhere else and park for free?

I do feel that people still want to come to the town centre and the out-of-town shopping malls may find themselves in a similar predicament in years to come.

What I think is more feasible for the town centre is to extend the one-hour parking charges. These make no sense for a town like Blackburn. Simply extending this to two hours for free would make such a difference for shoppers and would entice people back to the centre.

The town centre needs footfall but over the years we have made it increasingly difficult for ordinary shoppers to come to the town.

Northgate next the library was closed and then reopened. There is a mini rebirth of that area going on thanks to some new restaurants.

The building works next to the Victoria building are set to last a few years. Why a single lane (even one-way) can’t be opened as work continues is beyond me. I am sure the works could go on unhindered in the cordoned off square.

Another major change needed desperately is the reopening of Church Street. Closing this looked good at the time. We put some statues up and The Queen visited to open the pavilions. 

Let us be honest about it. It did not work.

READ MORE: 'Final nail in the coffin' - Shoppers and readers react to M&S closing in Blackburn town centre

Church Street should be opened to traffic (again even one-way) and would allow one side of town to be linked up to the other. Why one must meander through the weirdest bus lane lay-by in Britain to travel 100 yards is still confusing.

Smaller towns like Blackburn rely on people having easy access to the centre and it is important that businesses get this support.