[Acrylic-bob]

OK. So the council have now announced proposals for a new three year plan for the regeneration of Accrington Town centre.

But before you all get too excited remember this is an HBC plan, so it is going to be long on smart phrases and buzz words, very long actually. But when it comes down to concrete proposals it seems pretty mundane, not to say tame, and merely reflects what they should have been doing for the last thirty years anyway.

To quote Michelle McKenna, writing in the Observer (p19) the plan contains the following stunning new initiatives "Key objectives are to strengthen the town's retail position, to enhance the quality of the environment, to improve access, movement and transport, to promote investment and business development and to become a visitor destination."

As I said, nothing they should not already have been doing for the last thirty years.

But Ms McKenna goes on " Strategy proposals put forward for Accrington town centre include identifying possible sites for 'lifestyle living' in the town centre, developing a tourism strategy and providing better facilities for visitors, including accommodation, restaurants and conference provision, expanding the quality of shopping on offer and developing Accringtons evening economy."

What does all that mean? Well the accommodation and conference provision will be covered by the redevelopment of the former Skill Centre on Eagle Street which the council are planning to buy. "developing Accrington's evening economy" means handing out a handful of 24 hour drinking licenses. How they are going to persuade quality retailers to move into the town centre is beyond me. It strikes me that if Accrington was such a good business prospect retailers would actually be banging on the door already, not limping away bruised, battered and broke.

This insistence on turning Accrington into a tourist destination baffles me. And as for Lifestyle living - well, words fail me.