New square and one-way system plan for Accrington

2:12pm Thursday 18th October 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Emma Cruces, Reporter

PLANS to revamp a town centre’s roads system could see a ‘high quality’ town square for events and festivals created.

Hyndburn Council has drafted proposals which will see a one-way system brought in and the road closed outside Accrington Town Hall.

The plans, which are to complement the new bus station in Crawshaw Street, would include fully pedestrianising land fronting the town hall.

They would see a ‘high quality public realm’ made possible outside the Grade II buildings – Accrington Town Hall and Accrington Market Hall by closing the road, currently used only by buses.

However critics said it would increase problems with empty shops down the lower end of Blackburn Road.

Opposition leader Peter Britcliffe said: “I’d rather see this road opened up to all Traffic and the motorist encouraged into the heart of the town. I am very wary of proposals to close routes rather than open them up.

“We should be making life easier for the motorist because we are in competition with places like the Trafford Centre. We already have a public realm space which is currently empty – the market hall.”

However council leader Miles Parkinson said the plans would also see extra parking created in the centre of town. He said: “We have a really grand area of town near our proudest buildings going to waste. Now that buses won’t need to access the through road in front of the town hall, it can be something really special.”

In addition to closing Blackburn Road outside the town hall, a one-way system would see Blackburn Road traffic approaching the town hall diverted down Eagle Street. Traffic accessing the area from the viaduct roundabout would also enter a one-way system down Union Street, Blackburn Road and towards Eagle Street.

The new Accrington Bus Station will be on the car park at Crawshaw Street, with the main pedestrian access providing a direct link to Union Street opposite the entrance to the Arndale.

A report to councillors said that although the majority of buses would enter and leave from the site’s junction with King Street, some buses are likely to exit the bus station onto Blackburn Road.

Proposals will be voted on at Hyndburn’s Cabinet meeting next week.

Comments (7)

3:39pm Thu 18 Oct 12

mavrick says...

I hope it has the desired effect of regenerating the Town centre.
I hope it has the desired effect of regenerating the Town centre. mavrick

3:51pm Thu 18 Oct 12

darwenTower says...

mavrick wrote:
I hope it has the desired effect of regenerating the Town centre.
They'll probabloy just make a borrox of it, like BBurn and Darwen.

Poor Accrington.
[quote][p][bold]mavrick[/bold] wrote: I hope it has the desired effect of regenerating the Town centre.[/p][/quote]They'll probabloy just make a borrox of it, like BBurn and Darwen. Poor Accrington. darwenTower

4:48pm Thu 18 Oct 12

ky_uk1982 says...

Council spending money on cr*p again i see, if the council think putting a one way system into the town is going to bring it back to life then i want to know what they sprinkle on their sugar puffs in the morning, the only one way system any use in that town is the way out, stop wasting money on cr*p i.e. super loo, one way, new parking, i could go on all day to be honest. What Lancashire needs to do is start helping the people who want to work find stable jobs and clamping down on benefit cheats, if more people had money more people would spend, and limit the supermarkets in towns, that’s what is killing them, offer a commercial incentive for new businesses to create growth for small shops, look at Darwen for example its choked by supermarkets, honesty stop spending money on rubbish and fix the economy!!!!!!!!!
Council spending money on cr*p again i see, if the council think putting a one way system into the town is going to bring it back to life then i want to know what they sprinkle on their sugar puffs in the morning, the only one way system any use in that town is the way out, stop wasting money on cr*p i.e. super loo, one way, new parking, i could go on all day to be honest. What Lancashire needs to do is start helping the people who want to work find stable jobs and clamping down on benefit cheats, if more people had money more people would spend, and limit the supermarkets in towns, that’s what is killing them, offer a commercial incentive for new businesses to create growth for small shops, look at Darwen for example its choked by supermarkets, honesty stop spending money on rubbish and fix the economy!!!!!!!!! ky_uk1982

5:09pm Thu 18 Oct 12

Steve4x4 says...

"They would see a ‘high quality public realm’ made possible outside the Grade II buildings – Accrington Town Hall and Accrington Market Hall by closing the road, currently used only by buses."

Really? when was the last time you stopped and looked at what traffic parades along in front of the town hall?

Britcliffe thinks Accrington is in competition with the Trafford Centre? muppet.

Parkinson thinks traffic diverted round the town is a good idea, has he ever tried to navigate around Blackburn or Darwen? we pay these muppets wages.
"They would see a ‘high quality public realm’ made possible outside the Grade II buildings – Accrington Town Hall and Accrington Market Hall by closing the road, currently used only by buses." Really? when was the last time you stopped and looked at what traffic parades along in front of the town hall? Britcliffe thinks Accrington is in competition with the Trafford Centre? muppet. Parkinson thinks traffic diverted round the town is a good idea, has he ever tried to navigate around Blackburn or Darwen? we pay these muppets wages. Steve4x4

6:09pm Thu 18 Oct 12

jogalot says...

Has any planning or forethought gone into what exactly the high quality public realm will be used for? If there are plenty of imaginative ideas or requests that fit the space, then fine, I think it's a good idea. But I don't ever see a lot of quality events happening in Accy. Accy needs them, it would help compete with other market towns. And whoever thinks Accy is competing with the Trafford Centre has lost their marbles.
Has any planning or forethought gone into what exactly the high quality public realm will be used for? If there are plenty of imaginative ideas or requests that fit the space, then fine, I think it's a good idea. But I don't ever see a lot of quality events happening in Accy. Accy needs them, it would help compete with other market towns. And whoever thinks Accy is competing with the Trafford Centre has lost their marbles. jogalot

10:01pm Tue 23 Oct 12

hairy mary says...

i say put a big fountain thereand ban cars from entering accrington
i say put a big fountain thereand ban cars from entering accrington hairy mary

3:01pm Wed 24 Oct 12

DtheP47 says...

Great idea Miles;
Put up hitching posts for the chavs pit bulls, fix drop down Baby changing shelves on the town hall frontage, call it "Nappy Valley" and don't forget the big yellow signs pointing to Cash Converters.
Great idea Miles; Put up hitching posts for the chavs pit bulls, fix drop down Baby changing shelves on the town hall frontage, call it "Nappy Valley" and don't forget the big yellow signs pointing to Cash Converters. DtheP47

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