COUNTY council highway chiefs are to spend around £20,000 in response to concerns over traffic near a Burnley store.

Lack of parking spaces and an inadequate junction are two of the problems highlighted by people living near the Spar shop at the junction of Brunshaw Road and Brownside Road

Worsthorne Parish Councillor Philip Walsh said there was barely a week when there was not some sort of minor accident at the junction as drivers attempted to turn off the main road on to the Spar car park -- just yards from a busy mini-roundabout.

He said: "The situation is a nightmare because the junction is ill-equipped to cope with people turning right and then turning right again on to the car park and there are not enough spaces to accommodate everyone who wants to park there. Something needs to be done to try and sort out these problems.

"Broken wing mirrors and glass are always littering the road where people have crashed."

Iris Lewis, sub-postmistress at the nearby Pike Hill Post Office, added: "I live above the shop and every day there are cars jammed up at the roundabout as people turn into the car park.

"People also use the car park as a short cut to avoid the roundabout and just drive straight across it.

"The situation is an accident waiting to happen and there are already frequent prangs and bumps around the junction."

Council chiefs have now revealed outline plans to address the concerns, including widening the road and improving the mini roundabout.

A spokesman said: "We have a scheme to carry out modifications to the existing mini roundabout at the junction of Brunshaw Road and Brownside Road.

"Improvements comprise upgrading of the existing refuge island to current standards. The carriageway past the refuges will be widened which should improve the overall operation of the roundabout.

"The widening should also provide more room for vehicles turning right into the Spar shop. The scheme has yet to go to public consultation so things may yet change. The scheme is expected to cost in region of £20,000."

A spokesman for the Spar said: "The safety of the public and our staff is of paramount importance to us and we will continue to work with the community and council to find a resolution."