THE former owner of a snack bar forced to close by a council reversing the direction of traffic on a town centre road has spoke of her ‘bitterness’ at the decision.

Brenda Buck spoke out as Blackburn with Darwen Council prepares to perform a U-turn on the one-way system on King Street.

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The co-owner of ‘Simply Snacks’ led protests in 2011 about the plan to change the one-way system on King Street from a traffic flow into the Blackburn town centre to an outward flow only.

Two years later the business, despite a revamp into a dress agency, had to close because of lack of trade.

This week borough regeneration boss Phil Riley proposed returning King Street to an inward traffic flow only and Mrs Buck, now a seamstress, backed other traders in accusing the council of taking too long to correct a mistake.

She said: “I am a little bitter about this.

“It was good business that had been going for 13 years until the council changed the traffic flow.

“We told them at the time it was a mistake and what would happen, but it all fell on deaf ears.

“My sister in law Carol Kenyon set up the business on Heaton Street in 1998, then I joined in 2002 and we moved round the corner on to King Street.

“There was no suggestion then of changing the direction of traffic. People use to stop off and get a sandwich or breakfast. Then it all changed and no one was stopping any more. We struggled on for a couple of years and tried to run it as a dress agency.”

Cllr Riley, on behalf of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “We do our best to listen to traders.”