TEMPORARY traffic measures introduced around Ewood Park after responsibility for traffic management at football matches was passed to the council last year have been made permanent.

Blackburn with Darwen Council regeneration boss Cllr Phil Riley approved temporary proposals to shut off streets around Ewood on Rovers match days in September last year

Under the terms of the order, Nuttall Street, Top O’ Th’ Croft, Velvet Street and Tweed Street were all closed to traffic with the exception of access on match days.

The same measures were put in place on Kidder Street, Tapestry Street, Calico Street, Bolton Road and Aqueduct Road.

And now Cllr Riley has approved a traffic regulation order making the restrictions permanent.

He said: "Following Blackburn Rovers taking over traffic management at Ewood Park Football Ground on event and match days, a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) was required which gave their traffic management contractor delegated powers to carry out road closures and management of access to streets around the ground.

"Additionally a request was made by Lancashire Police and Blackburn Rovers that a more formal arrangement be introduced for coach parking near to the ground on match and event days.

"An experimental TRO was implemented which introduced restrictions similar to those used previously by the police under the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 together with dedicated coach parking on Albion Road on match and event days only.

"The order has been operating since October 2018.

"No objections or comments regarding the restrictions have been received and we are now in a position to make it permanent."

The proposal came following a court case between Wigan Athletic and Greater Manchester Police, which ultimately saw responsibility for traffic management at football matches and on event days passed to local authorities and event organisers.

Since then, Lancashire Constabulary ceased to be responsible for traffic management on match days at Ewood Park Football Ground and Blackburn Rovers took over, employing their own traffic management contractors to carry out those duties.

These duties are mainly road closures and management of access to streets around the ground.

Cllr Riley added: “Lancashire Police and Blackburn Rovers had requested that a more formal arrangement is introduced for coach parking near to the ground. A previous coach park was no longer available and currently coaches were parking at the bus interchange between Aqueduct Road and Kidder Street.

“This parking impacts on residents and it was proposed to introduce coach parking on match and event days only on Albion Road.”