COUNCIL bosses have installed large, water-filled barriers, bollards and signs in the middle of a main road to stop careless and dangerous parking.

The move in the centre of Blackburn’s Copy Nook, widened as part of the £40million Pennine Reach public transport and highways upgrade, follows people dropping their cars in the ‘hatched’ area as they visit shops and takeaways.

The careless parking on the key route from the M65 to the town centre featured in the more than 50 photographs of thoughtless parking sent to the Lancashire Telegraph last week.

Shortly afterwards Blackburn with Darwen Council transport bosses installed the barrier to stop motorists using the central reservation as a short-stay car park.

Borough highways boss, Cllr Phil Riley, said the move was essential to ensure road safety on the busy route.

But Blackburn and District Chamber of Trade president, Tony Duckworth, said the move was unnecessary and the council should have looked at allowing safe, short-term parking there instead.

Copy Nook and Bottomgate were widened with bus lanes as part of the £4.8million Furthergate Link Road phase of the Pennine Reach scheme which was finally completed in October.

Cllr Riley said: “We have implemented the barriers to stop dangerous parking and improve road safety.

“This type of parking is careless and thoughtless.

“It can be dangerous as well and we had to act to improve the safety for drivers and other using the new road layout.

“The barriers are a simple case of road safety.

“Drivers should not be parking in the centre of a busy main road to nip to the shops or pick up a takeaway.

“We have yet to decide whether to make the barriers permanent.”

Mr Duckworth said: “This action seems unnecessary.

“There is a lot of wasted tarmac on the new road scheme.

“It would seem more sensible for the council to take steps to allow short-term safe parking the middle of Copy Nook.

“This just show show badly-designed the whole new road scheme is.”

Pennine Reach aims to speed buses between Hyndburn, Blackburn and Darwen and cut traffic jams,

Last week Lancashire County Council highways boss Cllr John Fillis, former police chief and Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson in condemned inconsiderate and dangerous parking across East Lancashire having seen the Lancashire Telegraph pictures.