A HYNDBURN newsagent has written to a government minister to protest against plans to move Accrington’s bus station.

The bus depot is due to move from Peel Street to Crawshaw Street in a £4m project starting next year.

But Mushqat Juwale, owner of Smithson Newsagents in Peel Street, has written to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, and asked him to visit the town.

He has written on behalf of other traders and members of the public. He said: “This proposed relocation would effectively destroy an already failing market town and would see many traders cease trading and become bankrupt from what is already a fragile market.

“Customer footfall will be taken away. Having spoken to many customers and passengers about the subject, they are first and foremost against it.They are aggrieved that it is moving from the heart of Accrington town centre and are highly concerned that they will lose their unique market place, shops and the independent traders on the Accrington bus station, that make Accrington such a vibrant local place.”

Mr Juwale invited Mr Pickles to visit Accrington to hear the views of traders and residents.

Last week, Peter’s Jewellers, in Blackburn Road, said moving the bus station would be the ‘final nail in the coffin’ and would see businesses close.

A spokesman said: “Our footfall would drop and the pattern through town would change.

“A 10 to 15 per cent drop in trade would finish us as a business, and you can easily see that happening.”

Earlier in the year, a survey of 50 town centre shops revealed just three agreed with plans for the new bus station.