TRADERS in Blackburn town centre have called for an inquiry and accused Blackburn with Darwen Council of ignoring their pleas for Church Street and Darwen Street not to be closed to through traffic.

And they have called for the council's masterplan to create an orbital route around the town to take traffic from the two roads to be halted until more consultation is completed.

Darwen Street Traders' Association spokesman Jeff Stone is at the centre of the last ditch bid to derail the project, which is seen by the council as a method of making the town centre more pedestrian friendly and linking the shopping area with the Boulevard.

Under the plan, the only motorists able to use the town centre roads will be those wishing to park up and shop. Mr Stone said: "The views of traders have been misrepresented for the past two years.

"Elected council members have been misled as to the recorded opposition to the closure of Church Street by all the trading groups in the town centre."

Mr Stone claimed several traders in the town centre had repeated their opposition to the plans on several occasions but that these complaints did not appear in the final report which was approved by councillors.

He added: "Traders now feel disenfranchised by the report so the only way to proceed is to make a formal complaint to the chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council and to councillors in the hope they will carry out a full inquiry. "I also appeal to all traders and shoppers to voice their concerns over the closure of Church Street to the council before it is too late, because this plan will destroy Blackburn shopping centre, the markets and Darwen Street.

"It is not the duty of council officers to put spin on the findings of consultation reports and it is hardly the fault of councillors when they have to decide upon vital issues where the information printed before them is tainted."

Bob Turner of Penny Street electrical goods shop Toplex said: "There has been opposition to this all the way down the line, and that appears to have been ignored and covered up."

A spokesman for the council said: "Nobody's views were misrepresented.

"A report to last month's highways committee fully outlined the consultation procedure and the views of the various interested parties.

"The shopping centre manager Victor Parfrement is in favour of the scheme. The Chamber of Trade did object and its comments are reflected in the committee report.

"The Market Tenants' Association agreed at a meeting on August 11 that the would not object to the closure of Church Street provided the council seriously considered the removal of buses from Ainsworth Street to stimulate pedestrian movement through the markets to Penny Street. Jeff Stone does not represent the views of all Darwen Street traders."

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