Labour and Lib Dems to run 'hung' Pendle Council

The Tories lost its one seat majority of Pendle Council in the poll earlier this month

Labour and the Liberal Democrats have agreed a deal to run a local authority left "hung" after the local elections.

The Conservatives lost control of Pendle with Labour taking one seat off them, and Lib Dems gaining two seats.

Under the partnership deal Labour councillor Asjad Mahmood will become leader and his Lib Dem counterpart councillor David Whipp his deputy.

Mr Mahmood is set to be confirmed as Pendle's political leader at the council's annual meeting later.

The new shared administration comes after the Conservatives lost its one seat majority, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The poll on 4 May saw the number of Tory councillors on the 33-member authority cut from 17 to 14 with Labour on 11, Lib Dems on seven and former Labour group leader councillor Mohammed Iqbal, who is currently suspended from the party, sitting as an Independent.

The ruling executive will have three other Labour members and two more Lib Dems.

The two groups have laid out a Plan for Pendle with pledges to:

• Protect the area's leisure services following the previous administration's report on the viability of three sports centres

• Create a new local plan with reduced housing development to protect green spaces

• Make homes more energy-efficient

• Make more social housing available and cut the number of long-term empty properties

• Prioritising projects such as the renewal plan for Colne Market Hall and the fight for a health centre for Barnoldswick

• Boosting youth services to tackle antisocial behaviour among young people

Pendle Conservative group leader councillor Nadeem Ahmed said he was "disappointed" with the new administration.

"We had a meeting with the Liberal Democrats which I thought was productive.

"We have started a lot of good projects and policies which I felt we could have continued in partnership with the Lib Dems."