Fears £100m funding for county could be axed

Darwen, along with Accrington, Burnley, Rawtenstall and Nelson, had been promised funds by the previous Conservative government

Fears are growing that £100 million of funding earmarked for five East Lancashire towns could be cancelled by the new Labour government.

The previous Conservative administration pledged that £20m would be delivered over 10 years for improvements to Darwen, Accrington, Burnley, Rawtenstall and Nelson.

They were among 55 towns across the country to receive funds from the Long Term Plan for Towns programme announced in October 2023.

However the new government paused the scheme following July’s general election, with a spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government saying further details would be set out "in due course".

'Betrayal'

Concerns have grown that Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who will deliver her first budget on 30 October, is about to drop the whole scheme.

Councillor Zak Khan, the opposition Conservative leader at Hyndburn Council, said: "I am exceptionally concerned by this delay.

"This makes it more and more likely that that this Long Term Plan for Towns programme is about the be pulled by this Labour government.

"This would be a betrayal of Accrington."

Councillor Phil Riley, Labour leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said the "initiative did not have enough time to gather momentum before the general election" and that there would be "no impact on the progress of the Darwen Town Deal which continues to go from strength to strength".

However the area’s Conservative regeneration spokesman Councillor Paul Marrow differed, saying: "This affects the future of Darwen town centre and the viability of its businesses which are currently left in limbo."

Claire Bennett, chair of the Nelson Long Term Town Plan Board, said they were "actively working on securing alternative resources".