A DUAL carriageway which cuts Rawtenstall in two could become a thing of the past under new plans for the town centre.

As part of the proposed town centre masterplan the current "gyratory" system, which involves one-way traffic being directed in a loop around the fire station, could be scrapped to create a more pedestrian-friendly town centre, it has been revealed.

The plan emerged when Rossendale Council executive members were given the opportunity to quiz consultants over the proposed masterplan.

And Stephen Potter, of Arup consultants who were commissioned to prepare the plan, presented three proposals for the town and answered councillors' concerns by assuring them they would look at the problem of traffic and parking.

Mr Potter said one of the main areas which would be looked at was the road infrastructure to make it appropriate to the town centre without having a motorway-style road cutting the town in half.

He said: "We are looking at a variety of options including replacing the gyratory system with a network of cross roads and two-way streets. We are coming up with ways that can cope with the traffic levels and make it a more pedestrian-friendly area."

He described the three options being considered which range from a minimum work option, keeping the use within the town centre as it is with a possible refurbishment of the Valley Centre and the dual carriageway continuing through the centre, to a more radical option of completely re-modelling the Valley Centre and the Bank Street retail area.

A third option would look to re-modelling and re-claiming the Queen Square area and creating a strong pedestrian link throughout the whole town, connecting the end of the by-pass through a two-way road to St Mary's Way and connecting Haslingden Road directly to Bocholt Way.

Councillor David Hancock said he was concerned about the parking problems in the town centre and how those problems would be dealt with once building work began.

Mr Potter said: "From the public parking point of view the main sites would be the car park at the north side of Bank Street where the Co-op used to be and a multi-storey car park near the Valley Centre and council offices. There would also be various sites around the town centre for parking."

Mr Potter said there would be a strong focus on programming this "major engineering operation" in the town centre to allow the town to continue operating and the roads to remain open.