A LAST-DITCH attempt by Conservative politicians to stop controversial plans to redevelop a town square as a memorial to the Accrington Pals has failed.

Group leader Cllr Tony Dobson proposed that the scheme was scrapped at a meeting of Hyndburn full council on Thursday night.

The amendment was put to a vote and was comfortably defeated.

However Cllr Dobson was pleased council leader Cllr Miles Parkinson did announce there would be a £50,000 budget for a range of events over the two years after the Pals Square opens in 2018.

He said: “It’s unbelievable that we’ve had 18 months of conversation about an event square and only now as it dawned on the controlling group that somebody may need to organise some events.”

Cllr Parkinson said it is now important everyone unites behind the plan.

He said: “We want this to succeed and I hope we can all work together."