CHAMBER of Trade chiefs in Burnley have branded the town's new £12 million shops plan a "barracks-type" development.

They say a more imaginative scheme for the Curzon Street area should have been planned by developers, Great Portland Estates and will write to the council expressing their disappointment.

The trade and commerce group felt that having in mind the excellence of St James' Walk and Charter Walk shopping centre, the new development was not up to the standard of the rest of the town centre.

Members took into account the urgent need to relace the Market car stack and that the council had "powerful reasons" for an early solution to the problem.

The scheme, which is waiting final approval, has already come under fire from both the public and some councillors following consultation on the design.

Mayor of Burnley Enid Tate slammed the scheme as "a travesty" and Liberal Democrat leader Gordon Birtwistle described it as "totally without imagination," adding that a child of 12 would have done better.

In public consultation, opinions were fairly evenly split, with a small majority highly critical of the plan; some described it as a jail block development.

The council is still awaiting a decision from the Secretary of State for the Environment on the application for listed building consent to demolish St James' spire to allow the shops and car park scheme to proceed.

A public inquiry following objections to the plan is expected.

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