FOUR Burnley firms are on the verge of being kicked out of their premises to make way for the Weavers Triangle redevelopment.

Dexters, which has been supplying paints and decorating products for more than 100 years, Advance CP, event decorators Balloons by Design and Green Slate Trophies, have been told to leave by March next year.

Burnley Council purchased the buildings in Trafalgar Street in 2009 from the former owner, who had gone into administration, but continued to rent them out free of charge, as per the existing agreement.

But bosses said they should be given more help from council chiefs to find new premises.

Nicola Stead, owner of Balloons by Design, said: “We spent £3,000 in March on creating a wedding shop upstairs, the council were aware of the plans and said nothing.

“Two weeks later we were told we had to be out by the end of September. We haven’t found new premises yet. I will see how it goes over the next six months but it is very difficult. I have already had to lay two people off.”

Chris Lane, owner of Dexters, said it was costing them over £40,000 to relocate to Balderstone Close, in Heasandford.

He said: “If they don’t have a legal obligation then they certainly have a moral obligation. We have already spent £25,000 on the new premises but we are haemorrhaging funds.

“There is no way we could afford another prime location like this with the passing traffic. Heasandford has the tip nearby and people decorating often start with a clear out, so it seemed the best location we were going to get.

“When the council bought the building we were paying no rent to the previous owner, so we continued with that, but they said it would be at least five years before the Weavers Triangle development progressed. Things have happened much quicker than expected.”

Mike Cook, the council’s director of economic regeneration, said: “The council acquired Dexters premises in March 2009 as part of regeneration proposals for the wider Weavers' Triangle area.

“Dexters and tenants in surrounding properties continued, with agreement, to rent their premises from the council whilst redevelopment proposals were being worked up.

“Works within the Weavers' Triangle are now progressing rapidly and in April this year the council issued notice to Dexter's and surrounding tenants because their properties were required to facilitate the phased development.

“The council has been working with tenants over the last few months to find suitable new properties.”