YET again we read of Morrisons objecting to the proposed closure of Church Street in Blackburn (LET, December 11).

I am sure many local traders and shoppers are tired with this large multiple trying to stand in the way of our town's development.

It is, I believe common knowledge that a number of businesses new to the town and some local established businesses are just waiting for the proposed pedestrianisation to be finalised before signing up for properties that have, for many years, lain empty.

It appears to me that Morrisons are fearful of this competition and the resultant regeneration of the local economy.

Morrisons criticise the Council's approach on the grounds of a petition containing only 3,000 signatures from a total population of 140,000. In other words, only approximately two per cent of the local population have actively objected to the closure!

It would also appear to me that Morrisons are forgetting the safety of Blackburn's shoppers.

Church Street and Higher Church Street are accidents just waiting to happen. Every day, from my shop window on Higher Church Street, I see at least one (and often more) near accidents. Only last weekend, a toddler narrowly missed being run over by inches.

We go-ahead and forward-looking members of the local business community have already had to wait too long for our opportunity to prove the scheme's success. Let us hope that Morrisons 'vested interests' are not put before the future prosperity and, most importantly, before the safety of local people.

JOHN VAUGHAN, Blackburn Record Exchange, Higher Church Street, Blackburn.