THE Old Stables restaurant and tea rooms in the grounds of Towneley Park have reopened after being closed for most of this year.

The tenancy was taken over by Lancashire Welcome Days Out, which also owns the coffee shop at Oswaldtwistle Mills and organises day trips and guided tours to places of interest across Lancashire.

It will keep the Old Stables name and will be used for weddings and christenings.

Councillors at the full council meeting were told the keys had been handed over and the deeds had been signed following months of disputes over the rent debts of the previous tenants.

Councillor Harry Brooks said: " I am very pleased to hear there has been a deal struck with a successful company who deal with Oswaldtwistle Mills and do an excellent job.

"They are heavily involved in Lancashire Days Out and that will integrate very well with the Old Stables."

Councillor Barry Guttridge said he would look into how much traffic would be entering the grounds with the re-opening of the restaurant.

He said: "While we need a car park there the safety of the people going into the hall comes first.

"There is a plan being looked at which addresses any problems in the grounds."

A spokesman for the council's parks department confirmed that the lease was completed on July 13 and the building was now open for business.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.