Rejig planned for Blackburn town centre's one-way system

The scheme, which council bosses hope will improve traffic flow around St Peter Street and Darwen Street, will go live on December 2.

In a bid to help stimulate new investment, as well as support existing businesses within the area, Blackburn with Darwen Council has started work in the area to improve access and better links to the town centre.

The recently adopted Blackburn Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document identified Wainwright Way and the immediately surrounding area as one of six key investment areas for the town centre.

Work to replace signal heads and install a new controller at the St Peter Street and Mincing Lane traffic lights has already been completed.

Give-ways will be established on Darwen Street and Freckleton Street, allowing for St Peter Street to be amended from a one-way to a two-way traffic system. This will allow traffic to gain access via Freckleton Street directly to Darwen Street.

The existing right turn from Wainwright Way into King Street will be prohibited, but access to King Street from all other directions will remain in place.

Cllr Phil Riley, executive member for regeneration, said: “These changes reflect the continuing expansion of the town centre with new businesses moving onto Wainwright Way and the surrounding areas.

“The existing road network does not reflect the changing map of the town and these changes will help visitors and residents to move around the town centre more easily by linking King Street to Darwen Street and by making St Peter Street two-way.

“There will be some disruptions in the short term and we apologise for that.”

As part of the improvements, free on-street parking in designated bays will come into effect from December 2.

Parking will be limited to three hours, with no return within two hours, which will be restricted to designated parking bays on Heaton Street, Clayton Street, Freckleton Street, St Peter Street and Chapel Street.