USING cash to attract more cash was the principle used by West Craven councillors who set their spending programme for the coming year.

Pendle Council's West Craven committee had £38,800 to invest in the area over the next 12 months.

But in many cases that cash can be used to attract other funding from "outside" sources for particular projects, even if those sources are other parts of Pendle Council.

The culture of "matched funding" - whereby various agencies chip in with contributions for "partnership schemes" - is now commonplace in council work.

If all goes to plan, the West Craven councillors hope to attract investment in the area totalling £73,000 by using their budget to attract outside money.

Their £38,800 budget was divided up to set the following capital programme for the coming year: traffic calming measures on Calf Hall Road - £3,000; a footpath link between Klondyke and Salterforth - £2,000; a covered bin area at Hill Street, Barnoldswick - £900; making up Duxbury Street, Earby - £2,500; surfacing the Station Road car park in Barnoldswick - £2,000; public toilet refurbishment - £3,200; surfacing Mill Lane, Earby - £1,000; flood prevention works - £3,000; fencing the play area at Victory Park, Barnoldswick - £4,900; renewing lights at Victory Park - £3,400; providing an electric power supply to Barnoldswick Town Square - £2,500; path works at Valley Gardens, Barnoldswick - £1,000; a kickabout area at the former Barnsey garage site, Barnoldswick - £3,000; parking provision on Park Road, Barnoldswick - £3,000; road safety measures - £2,000; environmental enhancements - £1,400.

In almost every case, the area committee's contribution was designed to attract more funding from other sources.

For instance, the £2,000 for resurfacing the Station Road car park relied on a £2,500 contribution from Pendle's central revenue budget.

Similarly, the £3,000 towards the Barnsey kickabout area was designed as a hook to pull in matched funding from various sources towards the total estimated cost of £25,000.

Coun David Whipp, who put together the capital programme and successfully proposed it, said: "It's been extremely difficult to try to accommodate all the competing schemes and inevitably some will miss out this financial year."