EARBY'S New Road Community Centre will not have a new manager for at least a month, prompting concerns that it will be "closed by stealth".

The admission comes as retired boss Roy St Pierre joined a chorus of protests against the delay to find his replacement, which community leaders fear could prove permanent.

Lancashire County Council has admitted recruitment for the job is on hold as savings are needed in the Lancashire Youth and Community Service budget. It says the situation will be reviewed in the new financial year.

However, former manager Mr St Pierre, supported by Earby Parish Council, the New Road Community Association and Coun David Whipp, said he was concerned all his good work would be undone.

He said: "As I spent 17 years endeavouring and, I believe, achieving one of the best community centres in Lancashire, I am naturally extremely disappointed that the post has not been advertised."

Mr St Pierre, who retired last December added: "I gave Lancashire County Council over four months' notice of my intention to retire - ample time for an efficient organisation to recruit and appoint a replacement.

"A colleague in a similar post at a similar grade retired from Fleetwood Community Centre at about the same time. His post was advertised almost immediately.

"In the meantime, not only is my post not replaced, but part-time staff sessions at Earby have also been cut, the assistant youth worker sessions for the youth club being halved. With no full-time support at Earby the staff are struggling.

"In these circumstances it is not surprising that staff morale is low, with some staff considering leaving. The people of Earby and the surrounding villages feel let down. Why one rule for Earby and another for Fleetwood?

"The whole situation leaves me feeling very sad. Sad for the community, sad for the staff and sad if what we all achieved is to be lost."

New Road Community Association chairman, Rev Tony Taylor, pointed out that the situation left only two trained youth workers in place at a time when Earby desperately needed them.

He said: "The centre is at the heart of Earby and is among the most-used facilities of its type in Lancashire, yet the attitude from county is worrying.

"Are they trying to close the centre by stealth?"

His views were supported by vice-chairman David Hartley and have been conveyed to Pendle MP Gordon Prentice.

Mr Taylor added: "We want some assurances in writing from the county that a successor to Roy as manager of the centre will be appointed and appointed soon, and that youth work in Earby will

be encouraged rather than downgraded."

West Craven county councillor David Whipp challenged the county authority on the issue at a meeting last week.

But cabinet member Coun Clive Grunshaw said there was no prospect of the post being filled in the short term.

He said: "The youth and community service is operating a review to assess all vacancies to achieve savings. It will be reviewed again in the new financial year to see if it can be released."

After the meeting, Coun Whipp reacted angrily to the council's answer.

He said: "In the autumn, Coun Grunshaw gave an assurance that the post would be filled, but it hasn't been. There isn't even any guarantee that it will be.

"This is a terrible way to treat the staff, Earby's community association and the centre users."

A Lancashire County Council spokesman told the Herald this week: "The position is on hold until the next financial year, but in the meantime 60 per cent of the district team leader's time has been re-directed to compensate.

"We're reviewing positions through the whole district, but there are no plans to close the centre now or in the near future."