PENDLE Council has stepped up its campaign to win back millions of pounds of vital Euro cash with a mercy mission to Brussels.

A delegation of senior councillors and the authority's chief executive was at the European Commission HQ today arguing Pendle's case to retain important Objective Two status.

The borough, along with Hyndburn, Burnley and Rossendale, found out last month it will lose its status at the end of the year and with it the opportunity to bid for millions of pounds-worth of funding over the next seven years to help regenerate their poorest areas.

The decision to fly to Brussels followed an invitation yesterday from Labour MEP Gary Titley, who visited Nelson Town Hall on Friday with Pendle MP Gordon Prentice.

Mr Titley arranged a meeting between the Pendle party and senior Euro bureaucrats.

Council chief executive Stephen Barnes, who joined Liberal Democrat and Labour group leaders Alan Davies and Azhar Ali on the mercy mission, said: "We hope that by making our case directly to senior officials in Brussels it may have a positive bearing on the Union's discussions with the British Government tomorrow.

"The British Government has to have the approval of the European Union in its recent decision on Objective Two.

"We hope we can convince the European Union that the British Government's decision was unfair because of the difficulties that Pendle faces. We are grateful for the opportunity offered by Gary Titley and hope it will cause the Government to re-think its decision and ultimately reinstate our Objective Two status."

LibDem MEP Chris Davies also visited the town hall on Friday and gave his support for Pendle's fight.

Pendle has benefited enormously from Objective Two funding.

Last year alone it won more than £1.3million to help regenerate its five most deprived wards.

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