COUNCILLORS in Pendle have slashed their annual grant to the Heritage Trust for the North West after labelling it ‘obtrusive’.

The fallout comes after the trust tried to block plans for Whitefield Primary School, Nelson.

The organisation was also accused of not representing the interests of Pendle people by angry councillors.

The majority of councils contribute an annual grant to the trust, and last year Pendle paid the organisation £75,380.

But that amount has been cut to just £40,000 to ‘fire a warning shot’.

Coun Mohammed Iqbal, the leader of the Labour party on the council, said: “We are fed up that despite this council giving tens of thousands of pounds to them, the Heritage Trust for the North West are putting up hurdle after hurdle.

“This is something neither the parents nor the children of today or tomorrow will forgive us for. Reducing this grant is the best way to fire a warning shot to the trust.”

The reduction was finalised after Labour and Tory councillors agreed on a budget for 2010/11.

The Lib Dems had proposed scrapping the grant completely.

Coun Tony Greaves said: “The Heritage Trust have been nothing but obtrusive to our plans for Whitefield and Pendle.

“We should not be supporting them while they are causing us to delay positive regeneration work.”

A deal between the council and the trust to minimise the impact of the development has recently been struck.

Coun John David, leader of the council, praised the work done on plans for the school.