AROUND 18,000 fewer people are expected to shop in Blackburn town centre this year, resulting in a £37million drop in spending, according to the CACI's annual survey.

And Accrington will welcome 14,000 fewer shoppers this year, missing out on more than £25million, the report said.

CACI said the falls reflected a national trend prompted by the rise in popularity of retail parks.

David Cotton, president of Blackburn's Chamber of Trade, said: "Out-of-town shopping centres can offer free car parking, and that is a massive attraction to people. We see it in Blackburn. The Townsmoor development has free parking and people will shop there if they can."

But the figures were contested by other local retail bosses.

Arnold Wilcox-Wood, manager of The Mall Blackburn, which has 124 stores and boasts a weekly footfall of 315,000, said: "Based on footfall, the number of shoppers coming into the shopping centre is actually rising."

Footfall is based on the number of trips made into the shopping centre -- so can be one person making several trips a day, whereas the CACI report looks at the overall number of individual shoppers visiting a town centre.

It said 108,273 were expected to shop in Blackburn town centre this year, spending £222.9million, compared with 126,146 visitors last year, spending £259.6million.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is looking at the figures, which related to people who will visit the town centre to shop on at least one occasion, but a spokesman said it felt the town was performing better than elsewhere.

Accrington will welcome 71,088 shoppers this year, compared with 85,105 last year, according to the report. Shoppers this year will spend £148.5million -- meaning Accrington is potentially missing out on more than £25million.

Peter Aspin, Chairman of Hyndburn Chamber of Trade, said: "I think the general trend has been towards out of town shopping centres, but I think that is now reversing.

"People are coming back to smaller, individual specialist shops. There is a lot being done in Accrington to revive the town centre.

"A lot of investment is being put in. I think over the next few years we will see shopper figures back on the increase."

CACI said last year 116,294 people spent £235.3 million in Burnley town centre but forecast only 98,915 shoppers would spend £204.6 million in 2005.