COUNCIL bosses were today accused of spoiling the £2.5million pedestrianisation of Blackburn's Church Street by allowing cars to park on it.

The row erupted after 20 parking spaces were made available for short-stay parking on the newly-cobbled Church Street.

They were promptly abused by people parking there all day.

Plans to introduce on-street pay and display charges in Church Street have been unveiled in a bid to combat the problem.

The restrictions could extend to other shopping and business districts in the town.

But opposition councillors today said the whole vision of a continental cafe look on the street was being ruined.

Blackburn with Darwen Council said the parking spaces had been included at the request of town centre users.

Council bosses also pointed out they expected pavement cafes to be placed further up Church Street, among the five new works of art due later this year.

But Coun Paul Browne, leader of the Lib Dems on the council, said today: "All this money has been spent on Church Street and now we have cars double parking, parking on kerbs and hovering, waiting for spaces to become available.

"Cars belching out exhaust fumes aren't going to encourage people to eat out on the street."

Coun Alan Cottam, opposition spokesman for regeneration, said: "I have always opposed the Church Street scheme but it seems ridiculous to spend all this money on it and then let cars park on there.

"If it is going to be pedestrianised, it should be just for people walking through, not for people to park as well." Kevin Delaney, spokesman for the RAC Foundation, said it was the first time he had heard of such a scheme in this country.

He said: "You can't pedestrianise a street then use part of it for parking.

"If the council want to create pleasant environment for pedestrians then there should be no parked cars, no police cars driving through all the time, no cyclists and no deliveries during the day.

"The council here seem to have become muddled about what they are trying to achieve and all they are going to end up with is a circus."

Coun Andy Kay, in charge of regeneration, today insisted the parking spaces would stay -- because they were what people had asked for.

He pledged that the parking restrictions would be vigorously maintained until pay and display machines arrived.

He said: "The original proposals put forward for Church Street did not include any car parking.

"A comprehensive consultation on the plans resulted in a heavy request from local traders, businesses, the Disabled Access Group and other town centre users for car parking facilities to be incorporated into the plans."

Ronnie O'Keeffe, president of Blackburn's Chamber of Trade, said: "If there are on-street parking charges, that space will be used by eight to 10 different people a day.

"I don't think it will put people off coming to Blackburn to use the shops.

"If anything, shoppers will benefit from the fact they have a better chance of parking nearer to the shop they want and be able to nip in and out."

In Preston, where on-street parking charges were introduced last year, it cost 80p an hour, compared with 60p on car parks, with long-stay car parks further out of town charging less for people spending the day in the city.