A COUNCIL has been slammed for rearranging the date of one of the year's most important meetings because it clashes with East Lancashire's FA Cup derby replay.

Hyndburn's full council meeting will see every councillor meet at the town hall to discuss a variety of issues, including the year's budget.

But the crucial event was planned for Tuesday, March 1, which is now the day of the replay football match between Blackburn and Burnley.

So council chiefs have arranged to move it one day, to Wednesday.

But now the plans mean the date still clashes with yet another meeting, of the Clayton and Altham Area Council. The area council's chairman today slammed the decision for costing money and being undemocratic, and claimed he would refuse to let his meeting be affected.

Coun Tim O'Kane said: "They're changing the date purely and simply because of the football match. They have spent hundreds of pounds if not thousands advertising the fact there is going to be a meeting for us on the second.

"It will cost hundreds of pounds to send out letters to everybody and get it advertised that it's being put back.

"I am digging my heels in on this one. At the end of the day it's just a football match. The council leader has got to weigh up his priorities -- £12.5million of public finance or the result of a football match."

Despite Councillor O'Kane's stance, council chiefs are in the process of moving the area council meeting from Wednesday, March 2, to Wednesday, March 9, and sending out letters informing residents of the plans.

Coun Peter Britcliffe, leader of the council and a self-confessed Blackburn Rovers fan, said: "This is a very big sporting ocassion. It's one of the biggest we get and the pathway is open to the winner to get to the semi-final of the FA Cup.

"We discussed this with numerous councillors and the majority feeling was that it would be appropriate to change the date of the council meeting. I have spoken to two Clayton councillors who agreed .

"It isn't going to spoil anything for the sake of a day. The Clayton Area Council is moved by a week, and we checked to make sure nothing would spoil for the sake of that delay and as a result have moved the council meeting to Wednesday.

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