PLANS to introduce a second bus lane as part of a roads scheme have been branded ‘unnecessary and a major disruption’.

County Hall bosses are proposing to introduce a bus-only lane on Whalley Road on the Accrington side of the Hare and Hounds junction

Hyndburn borough council leader Cllr Miles Parkinson has hit out the plans, citing the how the installation of the first bus lane on the other side of the junction had no benefits.

He has sent a letter to Lancashire County Council labelling the move a ‘vanity project’ by the controlling Tory group and that money would be better spent elsewhere.

Cllr Parkinson, who also represents the area for the county council, said: “The first one had no improvement on the running of bus routes. It’s not going to have any benefits and it’s just going to be a major distraction.

“It will cause parking problems along that stretch of Whalley Road, which will then have a knock on effect to the surrounding and side streets.

“Other areas like Liverpool and Manchester are removing bus lanes because they are not having any benefit.

“It would be better for the county council to talk to residents and representatives in the area and the money would be much better used on highways.”

The bus lane proposals come as part of the Pennine Reach scheme in the area and a consultation is being held with residents over the matter.

Cllr Parkinson welcomed the move by county hall bosses to provide some additional parking but said this is a requirement and will not be enough.

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council, said: “The bus lane is proposed to ensure the full benefits of the scheme are delivered, in terms of shorter journey times and reliability of services intended to encourage people to use the service.

“We’re working towards providing residents’ parking to the rear of the properties on Whalley Road, between Frank Street and Jubilee Street, to compensate for the loss of on-street parking.

“We’ll be holding a formal consultation on the proposal to introduce the new bus lane in the coming weeks.

“The Pennine Reach scheme is majority funded by a grant from the Department for Transport and is provided on the condition that is used to implement the scheme proposals.”