BIG PICTURE

WHAT you’ve been saying this week on our Facebook page:

‘TRADERS feeling spaced out by green parking’, January 14:

Judith Addison:

Lancashire County

Council, as our Highway Authority, are responsible for these. Maybe LCC have a Government target to meet (with maybe some funding allocated) in the context of the “Green Agenda”?

Kimberley Whitehead: People don’t take any notice and park in the electric car spots anyway. It’s rare I see one parked there. There are a lot more electric vehicles now on the road and we will need spaces but in the right places and I don’t think these are in the right place. For one it’s a one way street so you can only charge certain cars, as the cable doesn’t stretch the length of some cars whose charger is on the driver’s side for instance. Same with the ones on St James Street. I saw a car park parked there today facing the wrong direction to allow them to use the rapid charger there. I wrote to LCC regarding the bays on Bridge Street as I didn’t feel like they were in the right place and how they’d impact Peel Street church when they had funerals. No response, but felt like it was a done deal. Louise Mary Elizabeth Phillips: It’s easier nipping to Blackburn

Michael Larner: Forcing the move to electric vehicles seems a bit daft in an area where the majority of homes are terraced houses with no guarantee you can park outside your own home.

Anna-Marie Freeman:

The council know how to drive people away from the town centre. If parking is a hassle, people simply go elsewhere!

Sharron Fairweather:

Why put them right in the centre? I drove round on Saturday looking for a parking space, both sides were empty. Could have designated areas anywhere around town.

Jordan Marsden: The uptake of EV can’t happen without charging infrastructure, and charging utilisation can’t increase without more

EV’s. There will be teething issues but people are very quick to complain, so this is expected.

Lee Jordan: Brilliant idea by the council for a change. All these people crying - a simple fix is get an electric powered car!

Mark Stone: Another move to kill what’s left of Accrington.

ACCRINGTON’S £70m future with water park, market update and park and ride (January 14):

Deborah Iddon: Is the park and ride to take people to a decent shopping centre? Sharon Flood: Why can’t they send out suggestion sheets to all that live here and go with the majority of what we want to see in

Accy instead of what they can profit from.

Julie Christian: Are the council actually living in the “real world!?” Anna-Marie Freeman: A water park? Just some decent shops will do

Matt Green: Will be great if this happens

Suzi Fielding: Some research needs to be done to make Accrington better. I don’t understand the logic of these suggestions.

Katie Coughill: An actual water park or is that just when it floods?

John Heys: I am very sceptical of anything involving our council, will people welcome the reintroduction of cobblestones and where would they find the high end traders or their customers?

Corinne Riley: It will be brilliant if it gets the go ahead

Mary Jones: More money being wasted that could be used for more important stuff

David Isherwood: People would be happier with a new retail park these days Andy Boardman: Why not make Accy into a nice market town that people want to come to, instead of thinking Accy is bigger than it is?

Julie Bottomley: Is this another Zeri idea, for those who remember the hype and excitement of the proposed leisure park think it was early 90s?

Steven Graham: Water park waste of money. I see water every day I come and do the shopping. Please don’t waste it like you did in front of the town hall. I know there are more shops leaving Accrington day by day. Get them back in the town for the people of a once great town

Ian Robert Gill: Shops are done for - don’t you get it - AMAZON? And others via the internet. Some nice food outlets may be good but how many people from

Accy would go to them - no easy answer to this one

- but think again outside the box as they say Rebecka Southworth: I think the park and ride is a good idea for out of towners who come to see their team play against Stanley. It would certainly free up Whalley Road and the surrounding streets on a match day!

Jasmin Haleysdale: Park and ride and then come to Accrington! For what £1 shops and charity shops! Money well spent

Graham Stirzaker: Bring the markets back, the food stalls do not work. Look at Blackburn and Burnley

Ian Fletcher: They tried a bit of a food hall the Arndale a while back. It failed. Once this corporate empire is built what makes em think people can afford to use it?

Shirley Anne Howard: I do hope this plan works, I have had a business in Accrington since 2005 and the people who frequent my art cafe are more than customers, so many have become good friends. I have noticed post lockdown how many more folk want a creative outlet and to re-connect with friends and family.

BORIS Johnson apologises for attending a BYOB No 10 party (January 12):

Karen Allan: Work or private event...shouldn’t have happened.

Steve Crowther: We weren’t allowed work events either. And if it was a work do, what was his wife doing there?

Mark Haworth: Need to give all those that were fined for having gatherings their money back.