Don't merge our rival town together, says leader

Talks around ongoing about the future shape of local government following devolution in Lancashire

A council leader has urged residents to sign a petition opposing any new large local authority which could lump two Lancashire towns together.

Burnley is not a suburb of Blackburn, the borough's leader Afrasiab Anwar has said.

He was speaking as a petition exceeded 1,100 signatures, as the government consults on the future shape of local governance following devolution for the county - which could include an elected mayor.

The petition is headlined: "We say NO to Burnley and Pendle being merged with Blackburn."

Ministers want to reduce the current 15 councils by creating fewer new large all-purpose authorities which would see the unitary Blackburn with Darwen Council, Lancashire County Council and Burnley district vanish.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported Mr Anwar said: "Let's be honest Burnley and Blackburn have never been shy about their rivalry.

"Whether it's football, heritage, cotton, or local pride, both towns have fiercely defended their identities for generations.

"So who, exactly, thinks it's a good idea to lump us together under a single "super council"? Because it certainly isn't the people who live here."

Burnley and Blackburn "have never been shy about their rivalry" councillor Afrasiab Anwar said

He said the government's idea to streamline councils by merging smaller authorities into larger unitary bodies "risks creating oversized, remote institutions that are less responsive to local needs and more prone to political detachment".

The fact that leaders at Blackburn, Hyndburn and Rossendale have backed the idea of merging with Burnley, Ribble Valley, and Pendle into one super authority is "absurd", he said.

"Burnley is not a suburb of Blackburn. And Blackburn isn't a bolt-on to Burnley," he added.

However, Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Phil Riley said: "We and other local councils believe that a united East Lancashire is the best option to make the most of this opportunity to collectively develop and improve the lives of local residents."