JEFF Stone (Letters, January 18) seems to have missed the point. Contrary to the impression given, he and other Darwen Street traders were first consulted about our ideas a couple of years ago.

The main idea is simply to remove unnecessary through traffic from that part of Blackburn town centre. Such motorists don't intend to spend a penny in Darwen Streeet or Fleming Square.

This should help the traders by creating a pleasant environment, enabling on-street parking and making it possible for local traffic and pedestrians to have access to the shops.

Increase the comfort factor and people will be prepared to walk further to and from the shopping precinct.

The surviving specialist traders in Darwen Street deserve our help. So, too, does the Cathedral - it should be at the heart of the town, not cut off from the present town centre.

We are not offended, but we can do without such jibes at our expense. The Blackburn Civic Society has been helping to make the town a better place to live and work for longer than Jeff has been trading here.

Work with us and you will find that we are most certainly not 'nouveau enviro luvvies.'

ROBIN WHALLEY (Secretary, Blackburn Civic Society), Revidge Road, Blackburn.

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