A LANDLORD behind attempts to force Blackburn with Darwen and Burnley to have directly elected ‘mayors’ has been accused of ‘blackmail and making threats’.

But Geoffrey Berg has dismissed the claims and said he is not abusing the legislation for his own ends.

Mr Berg has already forced Burnley Council to hold a referendum on whether to directly elect a powerful mayor along the same lines as London. The cost of the poll on May 4 will be £80,000.

Now he has written to Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Labour leadership threatening to do the same if they do not drop plans to renew and extend the borough’s selective licensing scheme. The policy forces private landlords to meet standards set by the local authority.

The 61-year-old, who owns three rental properties in Darwen and one in Burnley, said: “It is not an inappropriate use of the legislation. This is not about a few houses I own in Darwen and Burnley, but about the lowering of house prices in areas with selective licensing which affect all home owners.”

Last year Mr Berg raised the necessary 4,000 signatures, the equivalent to five per cent of the electorate, for a petition forcing a referendum on a directly elected mayor for Burnley. It came after the council refused to drop plans to extend selective landlord licensing.

Now he has warned Blackburn with Darwen Labour bosses he will do the same if they press ahead with plans to renew and extend selective licensing in Darwen due to be rubber-stamped by the authority’s executive board on Thursday.

The two councils estimate the cost of a referendum is £80,000 with the overall pricetag of setting up the new post and the salary estimated at £240,000 in the first two years. The move comes as Blackburn with Darwen Council is trying to save £30million and Burnley Council tries to save £4.5million in line with government spending cuts by 2020..

Mr Berg, who lives in Prestwich, is a former Conservative councillor in Bury and now an Independent. In 2011 he raised a similar petition which led to Salford installing a directly-elected mayor.

Burnley MP and former borough council leader Julie Cooper said: “This is blackmail and threats. He is saying if you do not do what I want, I will make you pay thousands of pounds for an unnecessary referendum.”

“It is an abuse of the government’s legislation which I intend to raise in Parliament.”

Her Blackburn Labour MP colleague, Kate Hollern, said “The letter submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council appears to be a threat made by a resident in Greater Manchester whose sole interest in the borough is financial and linked to the properties that he rents out.

“I am clear local councils cannot be seen to be held to ransom by a single individual with a particular financial interest.”

Mr Berg’s letter to senior councillors said: “As you may know I have forced a mayoral referendum in Burnley. I did this initially because Burnley Council have extended their selective landlord licensing scheme although I am now turning it more into a referendum over whether council tax there is too high and should be reduced.

“I intend to ensure there will likewise be a mayoral referendum over political regime change in Blackburn with Darwen Council if selective landlord licensing is extended into Darwen or elsewhere in the borough. This in my view is the only proper consultation in this matter.”

Mr Berg claims the borough’s consultation was ‘dishonest’ for not admitting the landlord licensing scheme had lapsed and claiming such schemes increased house values when they actually forced them down, as in Hyndburn.

His letter said: “That is more than cause enough to force a mayoral referendum to achieve regime change if landlord licensing is extended.”

Cllr Mark Townsend, leader of Burnley Council, said: “Here he goes again. Mr Berg is a disgruntled landlord, threatening to waste more council taxpayers’ money just because he does not like selective licensing.”

Cllr Phil Riley, deputy leader of Blackburn with Darwen council, said: “Mr Berg is not a resident of the borough. I think this is an an inappropriate use of the legislation.”

“There appears to be a conflict of interest here.

“We could end up spending £240,000 on a directly-elected Mayor duplicating the current system.”

Mr Berg, who is campaigning in Burnley, dismissed the MPs’ claims of ‘threats and blackmail’. He said: “These are Labour politicians concerned about their own position. The only threat is that they have lost the confidence of their electorate.

“I think I can win the referendum on a directly-elected mayor for Burnley which has the highest council tax in the surrounding area. It will save council tax payers money if it comes in and the referendum should cost no more that £20,000. I am prepared to do the same in Hyndburn if necessary.”