A MAJOR survey of Darwen town centre is being launched which could reveal whether changes to the traffic system have worked.

Shoppers are to be counted and surveyed in a bid to gauge how retail habits have changed in recent years. The findings will be used to shape the town's development.

The survey will follow the same pattern as a similar study carried out between 2002 and 2004 as the Darwen Town Centre Masterplan was being drawn up.

The masterplan, which includes the controversial £1.4million traffic scheme, also set out plans for improvements to Market Square, the new leisure centre and Darwen Academy.

Lib Dem Marsh House councillor Simon Huggill is behind the survey. He said he had the green light from council bosses and party leader David Foster, and hoped to produce up-to-date figures on footfall that would reveal how viable the town centre was in 2008.

He said: "There was a lot of analysis of things like footfall in the run-up to the town-centre master-plan.

"I want to revisit this work and see how things have changed over the past six years.

"We want to look at people's shopping habits, and get counts done of how many people are shopping in the different parts, where people are walking from, where they are parking, and whereabouts they have come from.

"For example, when they come into town do they just go to Netto or do they stay longer?

"We also want to know where local people are going out of town to do their shopping."

Coun Huggill said he hoped to recruit a team of volunteers to help him carry out the study.

He added: "We could get a team of consultants in, but that would cost money and take longer.

"This will allow local people to get involved in something that will help their town, so it's a win-win situation."

To volunteer, call him on 01254 702810.