A LONG-RUNNING wrangle over who gets cash from the sale of Barnoldswick Town Hall took a new twist this week.

The old town hall, on Jepp Hill, was the seat of local government in Barnoldswick for over a hundred years. But in 1997 Pendle Council left the building to move into its new and pioneering Council Shop, on Station Road. Unwilling to take on sole responsibility for the large and ageing building, Barnoldswick Town Council also moved out, finding new accommodation in part of the old library, on Fernlea Avenue.

The empty town hall was then put on the market, with town councillors believing they would get half the proceeds of the sale to help them find a new home.

A lengthy planning dispute followed as local residents - backed by the town council - fought plans to turn the old town hall into another town centre pub. Eventually the building was sold for conversion to flats, but for considerably less than the pub company had offered.

Even so, town councillors thought they would get up to half the £48,000 realised by the sale, and were shocked when Pendle Council denied any such arrangement. After a series of letters, a showdown meeting was arranged last year, ending with confirmation of the agreement to pay up to half the money to the town council when it was needed.

But now Barnoldswick's Liberal Democrats are accusing Pendle's Labour leaders of reneging on that deal again, after the £24,000 payment to Barnoldswick was taken out of the borough council's budget, set on Monday night.

Speaking at that budget meeting, Barnoldswick councillor David Whipp proposed the money be included in the budget for the coming year.

He said: "Pendle Council has twice promised to Barnoldswick that half the cash from the sale of the old town hall at Jepp Hill would be available for new town council accommodation. It was made clear that the cash would be needed this year. Now Labour is welshing on the deal. You have forgotten your promise."

Nelson Labour Councillor Mohammed Iqbal, opposing the move, said: "This borough is a lot wider than Barnoldswick and Earby", while council leader Azhar Ali denied any knowledge of Barnoldswick asking for the cash.

Labour councillors defeated the Liberal move with 19 votes to the Liberals' 18 after Barnoldswick's Labour member Coun Frank Neal, who is also this year's town council chairman, chose to abstain.

After the meeting Barnoldswick's other councillors reacted furiously.

Town and borough councillor Margaret Bell said: "They've sold us down the river. Last year, we forced them into honouring their promise after a showdown meeting. How can they claim to know nothing about it? It was Barnoldswick's building and Barnoldswick's cash. It is just daylight robbery."

Coun Mary Norcross said: "I'm no financial wizard, but anyone can see they've taken the money to Nelson."

However, town council chairman Coun Neal said, as he understood it, the £24,000 would still be available to the town council if and when it needed it to fund new accommodation.

Recently the town council negotiated a further year's lease at its current premises, although it is actively looking for new accommodation. Using part of the old Rainhall Road School is one option under investigation.

Coun Neal said that he had abstained on Coun Whipp's amendment because it had come "out of the blue".

"I didn't want to make a knee jerk reaction without knowing all the facts. But I have checked with the council leader and as far as I am aware, that £24,000 is still there for the town council when it needs it."

Coun Neal added that he would oppose any move to deny that money - or any part of it - to the town council when it was needed, but he did not believe that was the case.