THE first phase of work to develop Nelson town centre and pull the shoppers back into the town was due to start today.

Work was expected to begin on the extension to the Pendle Rise Shopping Centre, in Place de Creil.

Pendle Council said it would be working with the owners of Pendle Rise, Modus Properties Limited, and their contractors, Barnfield Construction, to minimise disruption to shoppers and town centre businesses during the work.

Part of the Place de Creil will disappear to make way for two new shop units as part of a £4million development of the centre.

Councillors granted planning permission for the extension across the paved area towards Woolworths to create a large unit next to Nat West Bank and a smaller unit next to Boots, which they hoped would bring investment into the town.

The main glazed canopied entrance between the units will be extended to within 6.6 metres of the Woolworths store.

Temporary hoardings will be erected in parts of the Place de Creil and the pedestrianised area to allow essential diversion of services work to begin.

This will be followed up by hoardings to the perimeter of the shopping centre while demolition and extension work is carried out.

Trees within the site will be temporarily removed and where possible re-located and the benches and play equipment will be put back within the town centre when the extension is complete.

During the work, access to the Pendle Rise will be restricted to the market hall entrance and via Pendle Way. Shoppers will still be able to get to Woolworths and to the pedestrianised area via Broadway through a protected walkway at the side of the extension area.

Nina Pinder, Pendle Council's assistant town centres officer, said: "We are working closely with the owners and contractors to do everything possible to minimise disruption to shoppers and town centre businesses during the coming months."