Parking spaces outside shops in Clayton-le-Moors are set to be lost under plans to improve road congestion.

Planning officers at Hyndburn Council have approved an application by Lancashire County Council (LCC) to remove the six parking bays on Whalley Road near the Hare and Hounds junction.

County bosses said the plans, subject to further approval, would allow them to extend the right lane turn from Whalley Road onto Blackburn Road and ‘improve traffic flows at the busy junction’.

To mitigate the loss the council plans to install nine new parking spaces behind the shops to the north and south of Canal Street. The works are part of the £40 million Pennine reach scheme to improve transport links between Accrington and Blackburn.

Nigel O’Rourke, owner of Open All Flowers on Whalley Road, said he had ‘mixed feelings’ about the scheme. He said: “The loss of parking is always upsetting but if they are going to offset that with other parking and sign post it then we will have to accept it. People have been parking there for years and it’s always nice when people can park out front.

“It won’t be the convenient parking people are used to. I have mixed feelings. It will be one of those where we will have to see it looks like and how it goes.”

Ward councillor Nick Collingridge (above far right) said it is an ‘ill-thought out’ scheme.

He said: “We have fought the Pennine Reach from beginning to end. Clayton is probably the hardest hit of all the routes in Hyndburn.

“People like the florist and other shops rely on passing trade and people parking outside and they are taking that right away from them. It’s not where people want to park.”

Last year major upgrades were carried out at the Hare and Hounds junction to create better traffic flow, reduced delays for buses and the creation of safer pedestrian and cycle facilities.

Chris Anslow, public transport policy manager, at the LCC, said: “We’ve already upgraded signals and resurfaced the road at the junction and the next part of the work will involve improving some of the existing parking behind the shops and creating more spaces.

“Subject to approval, the full plans for the junction include extending the right turn lane from Whalley Road onto Blackburn Road giving more space for vehicles turning and improving traffic flows at the busy junction.

“These changes will reduce congestion and make it quicker and easier for people to get around the area.”