PLANS have been unveiled to change the road layout around Blackburn Rovers’ Ewood Park ground and build a new transport interchange in preparation for a £50million bus lane.

Business and residents will be affected by the plans, which bosses say is a crucial step towards gaining funding for the controversial Pennine Reach bus lane linking Blackburn, Darwen and Accrington.

The scheme has been recommended for approval by council officers and will be debated by councillors next week.

It would see a new stretch of road between Livesey Branch Road and Aqueduct Road, which would run close to the travellers’ site, and include a cycle lane in both directions.

This would be used to divert traffic away from the A666, which is set to be the main road used by the Pennine Reach scheme.

A new bus interchange would also be built near the Ewood Arms pub on Bolton Road.

Some of the surrounding businesses, including Ewood Dress Agency in Bolton Road, have complained about access to their shops and the loss of passing trade.

And people living on the Ewood stretch of houses have written a letter to the town hall, making a number of detailed complaints including raising parking concerns.

Bosses hope to create an area for development that would be enclosed by the new road.

But Ewood Labour councillor Maureen Bateson said it should be left as a recreation area for residents.

She said: “A lot people, especially the elderly residents, believe that land was left in trust for play facilities for people of that area.

“We have a number of concerns.”

But Tory Alan Cottam, executive member for regeneration, said the plans were only in an early stage and insisted bosses were only looking for outline permission at this stage.

He said: “We have to do this planning application before we go down the detailed planning stage.

"We are aware of the residents’ concerns, and we will bear them in mind.”