‘DISASTROUS’ cuts have thrown the futures of some of the area’s best-known venues into doubt, a leading councillor has said.

Pendle Borough Council is planning to transfer markets to town and parish councils as well as Colne’s Muni as part of a bid to save up to ‘£7million’ over the next three years.

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Seedhill athletics centre in Nelson could also be offloaded along with car parks, responsibility for town centre sweeping and recreation grounds.

It comes after the borough announced last year it wanted to transfer four parks and slash the maintenance budget for the other seven.

The Muni and sports track are owned by the borough and run by Pendle Leisure Trust which is given £1.5m a year to do so.

Cllr Tony Greaves, deputy leader of the council, said that needed to be reduced if the savings were going to be made.

He also did not rule out further job losses at the council in the coming years.

Cllr Greaves said: “The cuts imposed on us by the government have been disastrous.

“We have cut 150 jobs at the council and £7m from the budget over recent years and the council has nothing left to give as we have been cut to the bone.

“This is a very complex process and we will be talking to town and parish councils more over the coming months.

“We don’t have a choice as the government is imposing even more cuts on us.

“We thought that it was going to be £4.7m but it is now looking more like £6m or £7m.

“Wavelengths, Pendle Leisure Centre and West Craven Sports Centre will stay with the trust.”

Colne Town Council has expressed an interest in taking over the indoor market and the Muni but formal talks have not yet started.

If an agreement can’t be reached, their futures will be thrown into doubt, Cllr Greaves said.

He added the borough wants to transfer the assets soon because if it were to be amalgamated with others in the county as part of the combined authority plan, ‘we can’t guarantee that people outside Pendle will value them as much as we do’.

Cllr Joe Cooney, who is a member of Colne Town Council and leader of the Conservatives on the borough, said: “We have expressed an interest in taking over the Muni but formal talks have not yet started.

“Pendle Council has been taking a one-size-fits-all approach to this and it has been too slow.

“The process needs to be sped up as soon as possible.

“It’s a risk for us to take the Muni on but we think we would be able to run it for a profit.”

Cllr Greaves added towns and parishes might have to put up their taxes to help cover the cost of running the services.

He also did not rule out price rises in the future.

A spokesman for Pendle Council, in a document to the borough council’s scrutiny committee, said: “Whilst parks and Colne Town Hall will continue to be the main features of the programme in the next two to three years other possibilities for consideration are indoor and outdoor markets, leisure facilities, car parks, town centre sweeping and recreation grounds.

“The council has been keen to liaise closely with parishes so that they could plan their budgets accordingly.

“One net result of the programme for many of them has been significant increases in their precepts.

“Councillors will appreciate that the current and future programme requires considerable work for all concerned.

“The nature of the services and facilities to be transferred is more complex and requires more time spent on untangling and disaggregating the way they are currently provided.

“The future pace will continue to be dependent on the capacity and resources of town and parish councils but councillors and senior officers must continue to give it high priority in the light of the financial challenge of around £4.7m savings required over the next three years.”