New Pendle budget includes cash for leisure centres and to buy target empty homes

Pendle Council-owned leisure centres look set for investment in the borough’s new budget, along with funds allocated to buy empty homes through compulsory purchase and get them back in use.

Political groups at Pendle Council debated ideas for the new budget at the latest full council meeting. Some were linked to re-allocating £2million which was previously earmarked for a waste transfer site, as reported separately.

Lib-Dems put forward proposals including investing in local leisure centres, buying empty houses, giving extra cash for town centres in Barnoldswick, Brierfield and Earby, and starting work on a crematorium for Pendle.

Lib-Dem group leader Coun David Whipp said Pendle needed to reconsider its priorities for the next two or three years because of a planned local council shake-up by the Westminster government. Other factors included years of austerity, rising costs and National Insurance payments liked to council staff, he said. 

Regarding leisure centres operated by Pendle Leisure Trust, he said: “We propose further investment in facilities to make them more environmentally and financially sustainable, following a £1million sum agreed at last year’s budget. This allowed us to bid for £2.1million from the Public Sector De-carbonisation fund, with a decision expected in May.

“We’ve made a start in clearing-up the mess left by the Conservatives at sports and leisure centres. We’ve carried out essential repairs that were axed under them and made a start on energy saving measures.

“An example is the sports hall roof at Colne. It should have been done years ago but was cancelled as part of £860,000 of cuts under the Conservatives. The cost of roof work more than doubled to over £200,000 because they axed work when they were in charge.”

Coun Whipp also said ‘ill-thought-out’ Nelson Town Deal and Levelling-Up programmes agreed by the previous Conservative administration and Conservative government had led to un-budgeted costs for Pendle Council. These include £500,000 to finish Colne Muni Theatre, a similar amount for Pendle Rise  shopping centre’s running costs and £370,000 for temporary accommodation  for relocated traders from Colne Market Hall, which is being redeveloped.

The Lib-Dems also proposed ‘re-wilding’ Marsden Golf Course and nearby Gib Hill, which has nature reserve status, to attract bio-diversity grants and ‘help keep the hillside green’. See separate report.

‘LEISURE CENTRES NEGLECTED FOR YEARS’

Conservative group leader Coun Nadeem Ahmed said: “We’ve heard a radical budget proposal from the Lib-Dems. Regarding empty homes, I think that’s been council policy for years under different administrations. Nothing new.

“Regarding leisure centres, the Lib-Dems seem to blame Conservatives for their condition. But the buildings have been neglected for years, maybe decades. That’s the reason for their condition. That’s why we started having a really frank talk about leisure facilities and future needs. One of the shocking things was that boilers were failing, costing us lots of money.

“Regarding Pendle Rise shopping centre, the Lib-Dems don’t mention the money in the bank which exceeds the running costs. It’s all just blame from the Lib-Dems rather than focusing on what we can do. The Lib-Dems have probably been in more shared council administrations than any other group. To blame everybody else is not correct. “

Conservatives supported council masterplan blueprints for Earby, Barnoldswick and Colne, he added.

‘COUNCIL MUST STAY SOLVENT’

Conservative David Cockburn-Price added: “The previous Conservative administration promoted climate change officers to apply for grants. That’s the only way we can reduce utility bills and make running things more affordable.

“We also think it’s important to get an empty homes officer. The council’s Colne area committee has done trouble-shooting work about empty houses. The council’s data bases for council tax and housing do not currently ‘talk’ to each other. But we’ve done work on the entire Colne town centre and come-up with target priorities. The idea of a compulsory purchase fund for empty properties is good.”

But he added: “The council faces many financial challenges which cannot be ignored. These are going to get bigger every day. At the same time, the new Labour government is making people pay for their policies.

“We need to keep Pendle Council solvent for the new Lancashire authority. We don’t want Pendle to limp into the new Lancashire. We could have pride in our resources and assets. But we have been living off interest generated by some of the funds we’ve had.”

He said Conservatives would achieve £440,000 extra savings in their budget plans and generate over £1million in improvements, with more to come. Ideas included transfer of assets, such as car parks, to town or parish councils.