MAJOR decisions affecting the future of shopping in Rossendale have been put back two months amid fears that the council's own redevelopment plans may not go ahead.

Rawtenstall traders have been told it will now be May at the earliest before the council decides whether to grant planning permission for a superstore at Newhallhey.

And the council's own plans to create a new shopping centre on the site of the present town hall and police station have been hit by a funding crisis.

Planning chairman Coun Alan Fishwick told a meeting of the Rawtenstall town centre sub committee that the delay was to allow Tesco time to publish its own survey on the impact of a second superstore in the town, and for traffic management plans on the Newhallhey site to be finalised.

Tesco announced in January it was interested in the superstore planned by Rossendale-based Hurstwood Developments, creating 400 new jobs.

Now the Heritage Lottery, which had agreed to foot the £3.9 million scheme to turn the listed Ilex Mill on Bacup Road into a new town hall and police station, is running out of funds.

Councillors have been told the Lottery board will meet on March 19 to decide what money is available. Occupying Ilex Mill is vital to the council's plans for Rawtenstall centre.

Coun Fishwick urged people who want to see the scheme go ahead to lobby the Heritage Lottery board. He said: "One letter from an ordinary member of the public is worth 50 from the council."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.