THE man responsible for the management of Blackburn and Darwen town centres has resigned, prompting calls from traders to make the role more "trader-oriented" in future.

Paul Isherwood, town centre manager for Blackburn with Darwen Council, has resigned after 10 years and plans to travel the world.

His departure has prompted some traders to criticise the current role of the town centre manager.

Blackburn with District Chamber of Trade called for a new "traders' representative" position to be created, arguing the town centre manager does not have a "free role" because they are council paid.

Mr Isherwood, who is in his forties, is to jet off to Turkey, Germany, West Africa and India on a nine-month trip after serving three months notice.

He then plans to buy property in the south of France and settle there. Mr Isherwood has worked for Blackburn With Darwen Council for 28 years, becoming town centre manager in 1993. He has had different jobs in the council and described his current role as "enjoyable if challenging".

Mr Isherwood, who lives in Skipton, said: "Blackburn is not retiring me and certainly not giving me a golden handshake. If you start planning finances early enough your dreams come true.

"As far as town centre manager goes, the council has always taken the lead in town centre management and has put a lot of money into it. I take the view the people who pay for services should have a choice."

Mr Isherwood said his main achievement was the forging of links with private sector traders and other influential parties.

He added: "There is now an automatic rapport between the council and the private sector, traders, the cathedral, college and police."

In November last year Mr Isherwood was involved in controversy after he went on a 520-mile round-trip to Norfolk with another council officer to measure 11 council Christmas trees, prompting criticism from Conservative councillors.

Jeff Stone, a hairdresser in Fleming Square, Blackburn, who has been in business in the town for 40 years, said: "Mr Isherwood's loss is no surprise and is not much lamented by me. The town should have a business consultant in the town hall working for the shopkeepers who are, after all, the biggest employers in the town. The town is on its backside at the moment."

Ronnie O'Keeffe, vice-president of Blackburn and District Chamber of : "Over the last few months he has come in for a little bit of a cool reception from certain town centre traders asking what role he has to play in the town centre. We would want to see somebody come into the job who is a little bit more trader-oriented and maybe have a free role from the council, who would fight more on the traders' behalf." John Brown, chairman of Darwen Town Centre Association, said: "Mr Isherwood has done a lot for Darwenand I am sorry he will be going."

David Clark, manager of Natural Choice Food Stores in Bridge Street, Darwen, said: "I would urge whoever is appointed to come round to talk to us about the problems we have in Darwen town centre."