The Council really do need to think about their next move, in regards to the Arndale Centre. Shops are closing in most town centres, due to a whole host of reasons, including that more shopping is being performed online & the current economic climate.

Its obvious that the shops are generating less income, yet I can almost guarantee that the rates they are charged will not have fallen, they have most likely risen.

The Town Centre is a washed with discount stores and empty stores, but why would a commercial venture want to place a shop in Accrington Town Centre, where the footfall is low and the population is generally made up of low/no income families.

The Council has the chance to give Accrington a Unique Selling Point, let's be bold, lets be different. It may be a risk, but what is there to lose? Town Centres will no longer be as they were, only City Centres will thrive. Let's create something a city can't, that will bring people into the town rather than away from it, or past it on the motorways.