A BUSY town centre bus station is to be improved after council chiefs admitted it was dangerous.

Accrington's central bus station will benefit from almost £13,000 worth of improvements after members of Hyndburn Council heard the terminus was congested which, at times, led to unsafe bus manoeuvres.

Members of the town's regeneration board were told that boarding points and shelters would be upgraded and temporary town-centre stands would be provided nearby to ease overcrowding.

Officers said disruption which would inevitably occur during the market redevelopment, which starts next month, would increase congestion at the bus station to unacceptable levels and make it even more necessary to set up the alternative boarding points.

The best locations were in Church Street, the west side of Cannon Street, Blackburn Road, the north side of School Street and the east side of Peel Street from Abbey Street to Infant Street.

Officers added that most of the existing stands were not compatible with modern low-floor buses which several operators had now introduced to improve their fleets.

For passengers to make full use of the new buses, kerbs needed to be a similar height to the bus floor. In order to achieve this, built-out angled boards will be constructed.

Members were also told that the cantilever bus stands in Infant Street had generated numerous complaints from passengers that they did not give adequate protection in bad weather.

Council leader Peter Britcliffe commented at the meeting: "The bus station is most definitely dangerous.

"We have to do something about it, particularly with the market redevelopment starting. Drivers sometimes have to make difficult manoeuvres because it is so congested."

The cost of the planned improvements is £12,900.