TRADERS' have reacted angrily to plans for massive £60 million out-of-town retail and business park saying it could scupper their livelihoods.

Hyndburn Chamber of Trade is recommending its members oppose the scheme which could create up to 3,000 new jobs at the Whitebirk area.

President, Brian Hodgeson, said: "You don't have to be a mathematician to realise what it will do to us. We are struggling as it is, but if these plans go ahead it will drive business out of the town altogether. I will be advising my members to oppose these plans."

Rita Wakeley, Secretary of Blackburn Chamber of Trade, wants members to consider the plans closely before making a final recommendation.

But she warned: "This could kill town centre shopping once and for all. When you consider how much money, time and effort has gone into improving Blackburn shopping centre it makes you wonder what it was all for.

"We do have high unemployment in the area and there is no doubt these plans will help reduce that, but at what cost?"

Trinity Investments' ambitious £60m proposal for a 63-acre green field site includes plans for a multi-screen cinema, bowling alley and family restaurants alongside a huge retail and business park. The scheme could mean jobs for up to 3,000.

A smaller development, alongside the M65 extension by Midlands developers, Kingspark, could create up to 350 jobs and would include a multiplex cinema and bowling alley.

In addition the company has pledged to build a smaller cinema in Accrington town centre and hand over £300,000 towards a new station to connect the centre with the East Lancashire rail line. Nigel Rix, director of development services at Hyndburn Borough Council, welcomed the Trinity bid but is more concerned about how it will affect Accrington town centre.

He said: "There is no doubt that these two bids are very good news when you consider job prospects and business coming into the area. But what we have to consider very seriously is how these out of town developments will affect the livelihoods of our town centre traders."

Alan Peak, his counterpart at Blackburn said: "This is tremendous news for East Lancashire and something we have waited for for a long time.

"The motorway is obviously a contributing factor and there is even plans to build a railway station at Greenbank - this news will only help speed that up.

"We have a very good working relationship with Hyndburn and will be consulting with them closely over these plans."

Hyndburn Borough Council is set to make their decision on the Greenbank scheme at a development services meeting on Tuesday and the Trinity Investments proposal at a later date.

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