MORRISONS supermarket is going ahead with its plans to introduce pay and display parking at its Blackburn town centre store, despite opposition from traders.

Supermarket bosses had been reviewing parking arrangements at the store's 700 space, three storey car park, since the middle of last year.

Store officials said they were reviewing the arrangements because they were concerned whether "there were people using it who are not our shoppers."

Pay and display meters have appeared in the car park but are still covered up. There is still no indication of the official date of change in the parking system.

Current tariffs for customers are free for the first half hour. One hour is free if a customer spends £5 or more and 2 hours if £10 is spent. Barriers are manned from 8.30am to 6pm to monitor the system.

Raymond Goldstone, president of Blackburn Chamber of Trade, believes the new arrangements could discourage shoppers. He said: "Everybody has their own way of running a business.

"I think they feel that some people have been abusing the free parking regime and taking advantage of it.

"But it is another nail in the coffin that drives people away and is a further reason not to come to Blackburn.

"We always like to see free parking where possible but this is their prerogative and if they feel it will stop abuse of free parking they have to take what steps they feel fit."

When the change was first revealed, Mr Goldstone said he did not think pay and display would "do the town any good" saying existing pay and display schemes would "discourage shoppers coming to the town."

Church Street, Darwen Street and Mincing Lane have all had pay and display systems introduced by Blackburn with Darwen Council in the past year, to deter workers and commuters from taking up shopper's spaces.

Drivers have to pay 40p for half and hour and 70p for an hour for spaces which have been free in the past.

Coun Andy Kay, executive member for regeneration, said; "The council has not been involved in the decision to introduce pay and display on Morrisons car park, as it's owned and run by them. We would not object to the decision, as it is in line with current government policies which encourage short stay parking in town centres."

The three-storey car park was built in 1987 as part of the construction of the £9.5million superstore at the junction of High Street and Railway Road.