THE future of shopping in Accrington town centre will be bleak and Hyndburn Council will be left with egg on its face if plans to create a new market and retail development are rejected tonight, council officers have warned.

The council has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds during the last 10 years developing plans for a new retail complex and market in Broadway.

Last night, town centre trade representatives voted 14 to two in favour of the scheme, which goes before a full council meeting tonight.

But the council's present plans for a Wilkinsons store and several smaller shops have been rejected by the town's outdoor market traders.

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