A COUNCIL did not consult volunteers before cutting funding for community centres, a watchdog has found.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has been rapped by the Local Government Ombudsman for what the council leader said was a ‘miserable failure’ to liaise with community associations before the controversial measure, which sparked protests last year.

The town hall is stopping paying for the borough’s community centres, used by local groups to host activities from tea dances to taekwondo, as it looks to make £28million in budget cuts.

Brian Todd, the chairman of Ewood Community Association, has received an apology from council chief executive Graham Burgess.

He said he blamed the previous coalition, which was in charge of the council until September.

Last night, at a meeting of the council’s ruling executive board, the council’s Labour leader Kate Hollern told him: “The council failed miserably to consult.

"People like you keep councillors on their toes.”

Funding is still set to be cut to the community centres, after Labour decided not to reverse the proposal, and discussions are underway with local groups to take over their running.

At last night’s meeting the cuts programme was approved by the executive board.

It will now be up to all 64 councillors to approve the drastic measures at the annual budget meeting next month.

The leaders of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat group agreed to work with Labour over the cuts process.

Tory leader Mike Lee said: “We will not be looking to make party political points out of people’s jobs.”

The total number of staff that have been told their jobs are ‘at risk’ is now more than 1,900, it was revealed.

The council expects to have shed 1,000 jobs by the end of the process, including around 500 compulsory redundancies.