A TOWN’S Tory councillors have accused a Labour borough council leader of spending its cash without consulting them.

The representatives of Oswaldtwistle are unhappy with the allocation of thousands of pounds by Hyndburn boss Cllr Miles Parkinson.

The town’s Lancashire County Councillor Peter Britcliffe claimed his decisions amounted to ‘daylight robbery’.

He said the cash should only have been spent with the approval of the Conservative-dominated Oswaldtwistle Forum which he chairs, and now has just £16 left in its budget.

Cllr Parkinson rejected the claims and said all the grants given had been properly approved and spent in the town according to council procedures.

The Oswaldtwistle Forum was one of several created as advisory bodies when Hyndburn Council’s township ‘area councils’ were abolished in 2014.

With cash carried over from its predecessor, the new body had a total one-off budget of £87,704.90, with half already committed to specific projects including £25,000 for the West End Play Area.

County Cllr Britcliffe said Cllr Parkinson and his cabinet have since agreed several major spending projects without the Oswaldtwistle Forum’s approval.

The included £10,000 for the refurbishment of land at Harvey Street; £4,000 on a revamp of the West End Gardens; £4,000 for child-friendly gates for the play area at West End; £8,009 to replace wireless CCTV cameras; and £8,250 for five vehicle barriers at the Heys Allotments to prevent fly-tipping.

County Cllr Britcliffe said: “I must express my bitter disappointment that the Labour-controlled Council has spent practically all the money set aside for the forum leaving only £16 for us to work with to support Oswaldtwistle organisations.

“Money from the forum was drained to supplement the overspend of the Hyndburn Council parks department.

“Now there are only pennies left. To me this is daylight robbery of the Oswaldtwistle people.”

Cllr Parkinson said: “The forum was set up as a purely advisory body. The spending decisions are for the Hyndburn Borough Council leader.

“All the money was correctly spent in Oswaldtwistle according to the proper procedures.

“I take advice from the forum, councillors in Oswaldtwistle and other organisations in the town.

“With the other forums I am usually able to come to an agreement on how the money is spent. Sadly in Oswaldtwistle that is not the case.”

St Oswald ward’s Cllr Marlene Haworth said “I am extremely disappointed in the leader of the council and his total lack of transparency."

“Whilst the money has been spent in Oswaldtwistle, it should have come out of the council’s parks and leisure budget.”

Councillor Judith Addison said: “The Labour Cabinet has commandeered this funding without even having the courtesy to inform the Oswaldtwistle Councillors.