THE leader of Hyndburn Council is urging residents to join the 6th annual town centre walk in Accrington next month.

Coun Peter Britcliffe and members of the Accrington Town Centre Regeneration Board have done the walk every year since 1999 to take a "snap shot" of town.

The idea is to look at how the town has developed over the last 12 months and identify any problems that need to be dealt with.

Coun Britcliffe said: "It is our annual stock take.

"We introduced this about five years ago and it has proved a well worthwhile as a way of looking at how the town centre has developed, what new businesses there are, what problems there are.

"It is open to everyone and we would invite members of the public to come along and help us.

"The input of individual members of the public is very important because they will see the town through different eyes."

He said: "Sometimes it is small things that are picked up, such as loose paving stones that need to be mended, and sometimes it is bigger projects that are identified.

"This year we will be looking at Broadway, which needs attention after the market development. That is an area where people in Hyndburn are keen to see something done."

Last year a total of 60 people took part in the walk.

Participants will be split into small groups to cover the whole of the town centre and each will have a designated leader and a note-taker with them.

The walk will end at the recently refurbished St James' Old School, which is now Hyndburn Voluntary and Community Resource Centre, in Cannon Street, where refreshments will be provided.

All the information gathered on the evening will be put together in a report, which will then be discussed at a future meeting of the Regeneration Board.

Town centre manager Bill Huntly said: "It is an opportunity to bring people together to take a snap shot of the town on a particular day.

"We want to look at everything - from transport and buildings to litter and public seating."

The walk takes place on Tuesday, September 9. Walkers will be meeting in the council chamber at the Town Hall at 5.40pm and the groups will set off on their routes at 6pm.