DISAPPOINTED performers are to hold a protest against town centre traders -- claiming some are not giving their full support to the long-planned Chorley Jubilee Festival celebrations.

The artists will protest at midday tomorrow (Friday) on the Flat Iron car park by paying for parking spaces to play music, sing, recite poetry and paint street murals.town's

Chorley Borough Council's arts chief Chris Mellor has backed the move, saying he has been 'disappointed' with the response from some traders who fear the extravaganza will hit their businesses.

An estimated 6,000 revellers are expected to see some 80 bands perform on 45-foot stage on the car park during the free music event which runs from June 1-4.

Festival manager Christian Moss said: "This is a big event. It's annoying people see parking spaces as more important than young people enjoying themselves."

The car park will still be open during the event, but around a quarter of it, 130 spaces in all, will be fenced off for the temporary music arena.

Mr Mellor said: "I'm disappointed in the response from some of the traders. It's a choice between parking spaces for one day or supporting young people. There is a place for the protest -- as long as the protestors buy a car parking ticket."

But traders hit back saying they were not given enough time to prepare for the event.

Pat Duckett, manager of Market Walk shopping centre, said: "We were presented with the festival plans as a fait accompli. I was in the dark during the planning and only received a brochure of what was required last Thursday. The traders in the shopping centre are not happy. They've lost 190 car parking spaces with the bus station and now 130 spaces again.

"For many retailers it was too late to put up posters about the festival as a lot of them have to go through head office to get permission. If we were told about the festival six months ago it may have been different."

A spokesman for Woolworths, Market Walk, said: "We're pleased the party is going ahead. Our concern is that a car park is already closed for building the bus station and the event will cause inconvenience to customers. It would be better if it was in a different place."

Malcolm Allen, of Malcolm's Musicland, was expecting the Saturday to be one of the busiest days of the year for him. He said: "We put fliers in bags for the festival but since there was no co-operation I thought why should I advertise something which is going to affect my trade, so I stopped."

Lawrence Carter, chairman of the Markets Committee and a member of the town centre forum, said: "We're looking forward to the festival, but it should have been discussed with us earlier."