PLANS have been revealed to fix a ‘chaotic’ Ribble Valley village’s centre, ending a 20-year wait.

Proposals are in the process of being finalised for a range of improvements, financed by money from housing developers who have been given permission to create new estates in the area.

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The talks include restricting parking in King Street, extending double yellow lines, providing better protection at junctions and creating laybys to provide off-street parking in the village centre.

If the project is given the green-light later this year, a new pedestrian crossing will also be constructed in Clitheroe Road.

Representatives from Ribble Valley Borough Council and Whalley Parish Council have been in discussions with the county council since November trying to secure a deal.

A spokesman for the county council said that it was not yet in a position to consult the public on the proposals.

Cllr Terry Hill, who represents Whalley on the borough council, said: “We had a meeting in November with the county council and I was impressed with the plans.

“We have been waiting 20 years for something like this and it would make a huge difference to the village.

“Parking in the centre of Whalley is quite chaotic at times and these plans will help to address that.

“If all the money is made available then everything that desperately needs to be done will be completed.

“I think that we will have to wait until the summer to get any more information.”

Daniel Herbert, head of local network management for the county council, said: “Ribble Valley Borough Council have put conditions on planning permissions for housing developments in Whalley to fund improvements to roads, and we’re in the early stages of discussing with them a number of proposals for future years.

“The funding will be released as the developers start work, and the proposals likely to come forward first include improvements on King Street as a result of the Lawsonsteads development to the east of Clitheroe Road.

“The first step will be to hold an informal consultation to give residents and businesses an opportunity to tell us what they think of these proposals.”