A BIG cut in the marketing budget of Burnley's newest business park has come as a surprise to both a senior officer and committee chairman.

Economic and development committee chairman Coun Marcus Johnstone told members of the finance sub-committee last night that he was unaware of the £20,000 cutback in the marketing of Bentley Wood Green industrial estate, even though the decision had been taken by an officers' group meeting in August.

Hugh Simpson, economic development and promotions manager, commented: "I hate to admit it, but this is the first I have known about it.

"It will seriously affect our ability to market the site.''

Coun Johnstone said he was concerned that neither he, as chairman, nor the unit manager, knew about it and that no-one had bothered to tell them.

Assistant treasurer Nick Aves said an officer from the planning and development department would have been present at the officer group meeting.

It was agreed that a report on the proposed reduced expenditure should go to the policy and resources committee.

The cutback was proposed among a number of measures to meet a quarter of a million pounds shortfall in the capital programme.

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