Whitebirk is on the border, most of the proposed park would be in Hyndburn and it's got good all round access...Blackburn are fighting tooth and nail against it because it would impact on their retail parks around Bolton Road and The Mall...Hyndburn has ZERO shops to begin with...just what would Blackburn be laughing at?
Blackburn has just built a very expensive bridge to nowhere, leads to an area they are demolishing...the cynic in me thinks they have that land earmarked for another out of town retail park..time will tell I guess.
The demise of the Gas showroom was more down to privatisation than it was to any retail park. With the increase in consumer electrics/electronics a double fronted Curry's shop in the centre of town just didn't have the capacity, kinda like the traditional corner shop just can't stock the variety of a supermarket.
You cannot seriously believe that the Arndale was affected by the wasteland of Whitebirk and not by Blackburn and Burnley with their mini retail parks, central shopping areas and covered markets.
And with that I give up..never gonna convince the luddites that there is no way back for Accrington
