A PENDLE football club is celebrating after forcing the council to climb down over a planned rent increase which could have forced them out of business.

Barnoldswick Town Football Club were facing a rent rise of more than £1,000 which at best would have meant fewer home games and at worst bankruptcy.

The problem arose after the council planned to charge them rent for each home game rather than a flat annual rent.

However, council bosses have now backed down and the club has signed a lease for the next 28 years with an annual rent this year of £500 for Barnoldswick United and £525 for their Park Rovers team, who joined together to form Barnoldswick Town Football Club.

Lyn James, secretary of the Victory Park club, said the threat of significant rise in fees had caused outrage and called the increase 'unacceptable.'

Mrs James said: "The proposed way of collecting rent was not fair. If we play 35 games in a year it would mean having to pay £1,000 rent. If you rent out a garage to somebody, you do not ask them to pay every time they use it.

"It would have ended up bankrupting us because we would not be able to afford it. We would have been penalised for good cup runs as well if they had involved more home games.

"It's very good news we have managed to sort something out.

"Getting the lease also means we can start applying for grants, which we were unable to do without it. We are thinking about enclosing the ground and expanding the changing rooms and the lease gives us a more secure footing to be able to go-ahead."

Coun Margaret Bell, chairman of West Craven Area Committee, said: "I took on board the concerns of the football club and I made issues to the executive and the executive over-turned the decision.

"The football club got what they wanted which was good as they do a lot for the town."