AFTER campaigning with the local authority over the last 20 years for regeneration works to be carried out to the south of Blackburn, we are delighted the day is dawning for this to become a reality.

Being aware of the proposed developments for this area over the past 18 months, we have been in consultation with the council officers to express our views. We are gravely concerned over the proposed closure of a section of lower Church Street, having canvassed for the orbital route with good signage to be put in place first and then monitor the knock-on effect on the Church Street route across town.

However, we do appreciate the time scale involved to obtain the grant fund money located for the south of the town and realise the chamber's wishes may not be practical. We are onwardly campaigning for a more balanced scenario of car parks around Blackburn and deem on-street, short-term parking on the section of lower Church Street applicable and practical for today's car-borne shoppers and disabled.

It is imperative that routes for cars and buses around the town for residents and visitors to the borough are freely available in order that there is trouble-free access to the shopping centre, periphery shops and markets if they are to flourish and continue trading. With the closure of King William Street and building of a shopping centre in the mid-1960s, too many specialist and independent shops were lost and the chamber does not wish to see this same scenario, should a new proposed traffic management scheme not be correct at the time of implementation.

Government and local authorities are currently aware of the loss of trade to town centres caused by the building of out-of-town retail parks and, consequently, there is an urgent need to regenerate town centres before they totally die. Consumers without cars, mothers with prams, the elderly and disabled all need to be able to shop within a town centre with comfort.

The proposed two-way traffic on Railway Road is an important route for access to the south of Blackburn if the small section on lower Church Street is closed and we are deeply concerned about the effect of vehicular movement upon the development at Lower Audley, should this access be revoked.

It is imperative that alterations to traffic management must encompass the needs of all users, aid traders in their battle to flourish, while attracting inward investment for the future prosperity of Blackburn's day and evening economy.

RITA WAKELEY (Mrs), Co-ordinator, Blackburn and District Chamber of Trade, Strawberry Bank, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.