A ‘last-ditch’ attempt by Hyndburn’s opposition group to scrap the £2m town centre public square has been rejected.

Conservative group leader Tony Dobson proposed an alternative plan at the full council budget meeting – saying the funding should instead be used to try and open the area in front of the market hall and town hall to traffic and parking.

However, the controlling Labour group rejected the ‘stupid’ Tory amendment, claiming it was ‘uncosted’ and would cost more than the public square scheme.

Planning permission was granted last month for the creation of the square in memory of the Accrington Pals, which will be opened in time for the centenary First World War commemorations in November 2018.

The Tories also moved to quell “abhorrent” suggestions that their opposition to the scheme was an ‘insult’ to the Pals.

Proposing an amendment to the council’s budget, Coun Dobson asked the council to support the cancellation of the town square and the setting up of a town centre improvement and investment board with a budget made up of section 106 planning money, High Street Innovation Fund and £250,000 from the council budget earmarked for the town square.

Hyndburn Conservative group leader councillor Tony Dobson

He said: “Its terms of reference would be to open up the road in front of the market and town halls, to attract inward investment into Accrington town centre from organisations such as the LEP (Lancashire Enterprise Partnership), and would make recommendations to cabinet on investments in Accrington town centre.

“We recommend this to the whole council so that we can start to make improvements to Accrington and halt the current rapid decline.”

Supporting the amendment, Coun Peter Britcliffe said: “Why are we spending this money in one of the better areas of the town?

“When people look in front of the market hall they think it’s one of the better areas of the town. They look at Peel Street and think ‘what on earth is going on there?’”

However, Labour councillor Ken Moss said the Tory plan would ‘cost millions’ and criticised the group for not putting together a fully-costed scheme as part of an alternative budget.

Hyndburn Labour councillor Ken Moss.

He told the meeting: “To not put up a budget six years on the bounce now, it doesn’t bode well that you come to council and present these ‘fag packet’ proposals that really are the most populist thing to say without any form of costing whatsoever.

“How much is this road through Accrington going to cost? And where is the money coming from?”

Coun Paul Cox said the Conservative group have ‘no budget, no ideas and no plan’.

He said: “Tinkering with the direction of traffic on one road won’t make this town more or less attractive to shoppers.

“What will make this town more attractive is having something to be proud of. These buildings, this location, this town.”

Council leader Miles Parkinson said the public square is part of a number of ‘phased improvements of the town centre and will deliver aspiration and drive’, adding: “Reject this stupid amendment turning down £1.9m of Heritage Lottery, which will send out the wrong message of where this borough is going.”

‘We aren’t anti-Pals, that’s a nonsense’

Conservative councillors say their opposition to the public square does not mean they are ‘anti-Accrington Pals’.

Former council leader Peter Britcliffe said he found the notion ‘totally abhorrent’ and said they are also not ‘knocking the town centre’.

He told the full council meeting: “What I want to make clear from the start is the last thing we are doing is insulting the memory of the Pals. It’s a nonsense to suggest that.

“I was the very first person as leader of the council to support the plans for the Pals memorial garden, which we have in Church Street and I put my money where my mouth was.

“Under the Conservative administration we gave the Freedom of the Borough to the Pals regiment, something people had been dithering about for year after year.

“I will not accept it and I find it totally abhorrent to say we are insulting the memory of the Pals.

“Neither are we knocking the town centre. It’s because we care about the town centre that we are putting plans forward.

“I’ve run businesses in Accrington town centre for over 30 years and roads have a great effect on businesses.

“We’re trying to take Accrington forward.”