A POLITICAL stalemate over who should chair a Pendle Council committee has ended after a behind-the-scenes agreement.

Labour and Tory councillors in Brierfield agreed Liberals Sajjad Karim and Allan Buck should be chairman and vice-chairman respectively of the town's area committee.

The set-up is now the same as the one rejected in May which led to a summer stand-off between the rival groups and the unusual step of a council officer, services director John Kirk, having to lead the monthly meeting.

Each of the three groups holds two seats on the area committee but because the Liberals hold overall control of the council the understanding is that the group chooses the committee chairman.

But Labour and Tory councillors voted against the original move to put Coun Karim in the chair with Coun Buck as his deputy because they wanted Coun Buck as chairman as he sits on a number of other local groups. Coun Buck refused and said it should be the ruling Liberals' decision on who takes the chair.

The impasse was finally broken after discussions between the groups and the realisation the deadlock could not go on.

Tory councillor Roy Clarkson told last night's committee meeting: "This has gone on far too long."

Coun Buck said the last few months had been difficult, adding: "This could have been in place since the first meeting."

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