COUNCIL bosses expected work to begin on a yet-to-be-built shopping centre in 2005.

Planning chiefs at Burnley Council wrote to traders in 2004 warning them about disruption caused by the proposed Oval shopping centre in Curzon Street in the town centre.

The letter informed shopkeepers that building work was expected to begin the following year.

But six years later, the ground has still not been broken and developers are only expected to start on site later this year.

The letter to traders was shown to members of Burnley Chamber of Trade at a meeting.

The Oval, set to be built by Manchester-based Henry Boot, has been dramatically scaled back since 2004.

It is now expected to cost £40million, about £30million less than first predicted.

Primark and Next are its ‘anchor’ retailers.