BOROUGH councillors protested outside a meeting to discuss the controversial bus lane proposals to link Blackburn, Darwen and Accrington.

Protesters from Hyndburn Council said they felt they were not being consulted on the scheme, and council leader Peter Britcliffe branded the meeting: “An expensive, unnecessary PR exercise”.

The meeting at The Globe Centre, Accrington, saw representatives from the county council meeting to discuss the plans with local “stakeholders” such as Hyndburn Council.

Following the protest Coun Britcliffe said: “It’s little more than a propoganda exercise and I object to public money being spent on tea, biscuits and lunch when nothing is getting done.

“We can agree with 98 per cent of the scheme but not with restrictions on business’ parking spaces.”

Lancashire County Council has said it wants to ‘ease the flow’ of rush-hour traffic in Union Road by restricting parking between 8am-9.30am and 4.30pm-6.30pm Monday to Friday.

County bosses said no parking spaces would be permanently removed.