PLANS to reopen a pedestrian street to motorists and create more parking have been announced as part of planned changes to a town centre.

Members of Accrington Town Centre Regeneration Board heard that Blackburn Road in front of Accrington town hall is set to be re-opened.

The change is planned as part of the development of a new bus station in Crawshaw Street, Accrington, behind B&M Bargains.

Lancashire County Council is due to submit the bus station scheme to planning officers in March.

The move is also seen as necessary because Supermarket giant Tesco is due to build a £32m superstore off Eagle Street, Accrington, with work due to start in spring.

Chairman of the regeneration board meeting Peter Britcliffe, who is also the leader of Hyndburn Council, also pledged to create more carparking spaces in the town centre and replace those lost by the proposed new bus station.

He said he also wanted obsolete yellow lines removed, carparking kept free and new bus stops created in Blackburn Road when it reopens.

Coun Britcliffe added the council would look into creating extra taxi ranks in the town after requests from taxi drivers.

He made the pledge to help boost trade through encouraging shoppers to go back to the town centre.

Peter Britcliffe said: “The junction at Blackburn Road and Eagle Street is a mess and will need careful looking at.

“We need to improve it for taxis who can’t use that area.

“It is not acceptable to have these development and not open the road up, people could be killed at the moment.

“It is a disaster that junction on Eagle Street.”

He added: “It might tempt people to come back into town.

"We are looking at more car parking in the town centre and we, the council, are looking into removing obsolete yellow lines. In some places it looks like someone has got a tin of yellow paint and gone mad.”