SHOPPERS have been handed a Christmas bonus -- one last December of free on-street parking in Blackburn.

Council bosses have revealed that the new charges set to come into force across the town centre before the festive season will not now be implemented until the New Year.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is still consulting with town centre partners over the plan and as a result will not meet the original timescale, a meeting of the planning and highways committee was told.

But a suggestion by one Conservative councillor that drivers should get the first hour of on-street parking free when the scheme is launched has been rejected by Coun Andy Kay, the man in charge of regeneration at the council.

A meeting of the planning and highways committee was told 305 on-street parking spaces would command pay and display charges under the scheme.

Roads in the heart of the town, such as Darwen Street, Church Street and Fleming Square, would be short-stay and cost 40p for an hour with no return within three hours.

And 133 long-stay spaces would be placed on streets further away from the town centre, such as Princess Street and Paradise Street, and cost 50p an hour.

Coun Kay said traders had given the scheme the thumbs up.

But Conservative councillor Michael Law-Riding said: "Wouldn't it be better to let the first half hour or hour be free?

"We don't want to stop people coming into the town centre and at least if we did make the first 30 minutes or so free, people who were just popping in for 10 minutes wouldn't be put off or charged."

But Coun Kay said: "We don't want the on-street charges to compete with the normal car parks, which is why the same long stay and short stay charges will apply.

"We have consulted and this is the scheme most people are happy with.

"It will come on stream in the New Year now, not before Christmas as originally planned."

The committee noted the report, and now Coun Kay will approve it officially within the next couple of weeks.

It is anticipated the parking charges will generate £60,000 a year for the council's coffers.

On-street parking charges are aimed at deterring people working in the town centre from clogging up spaces in front of shops all day, and should produce greater turn-over of spaces and therefore assist local businesses, the report said.