A LEADING Darwen councillor has clashed with a borough boss over the involvement of his assistant in saving a park in her own ward.

Whitehall’s David Foster has demanded to know why he received an email from Sudell’s Cllr Jane Oates saying she had decided to keep vandal-hit Olive Lane Park open.

The Liberal Democrat group leader asked executive member for the Environment Cllr Jim Smith if it was normal for a councillor to be delegated responsibility for decisions affecting their own ward.

Cllr Smith said: “I asked Cllr Oates to look into this issue as my assistant and as local councillor.

“We took the decision together and I authorised it as executive member. That is perfectly normal practice.

“I am astonished to hear a Darwen councillor complain about a Darrener being involved in a decision about a Darwen park.”

Sudell’s LibDem councillor Roy Davies then asked Cllr Smith how much it cost annually to maintain and run Olive Lane Park which has seen vandalism and violence rise in recent months.

Cllr Smith said there was no breakdown of the council’s overall park’s budget by site.

Cllr Davies said afterwards: “This is simply not good enough. I think Olive Lane Park is still under threat of closure.