HYNDBURN Council has backed the latest version of a devolution vote for Lancashire.

The authority's full meeting on Thursday night supported proposals to bid for £5.6billion of government cash and new powers agreed by the leaders of all 15 of the county's borough leaders.

Three councillors abstained and one - Clayton-le-Moors Labour representative Cllr Tim O'Kane - voted against.

Historical wrangles over the possibility of an elected mayor and the streamlining of Lancashire’s complex local authority structure have been set aside now that they no longer appear to be pre-requisites for the government to do a deal.  The leaders have explicitly stated that they do not support either of those options and have instead floated the idea of a joint committee or statutory board.

Hyndburn joins10 other councils - including Blackburn with Darwen, Ribble Valley and Rossendale - in backing the draft deal preparatory to working up a detailed proposal to submit government.

Burnley district and Preston City councils have both expressed reservations about the plan.

A report on 'Our New Deal for a Greater Lancashire' to Thursday's meeting by Hyndburn chief executive David Welsby said: "With a long term strategic plan in place, our ask of government through a county deal would be for the devolved powers, flexibilities and funding to accelerate the delivery of the immediate priorities set out in the plan.

’Based on the experience of other areas which have secured devolution deals, our ask could be in the order of say £5bn investment into the wider Lancashire area to address local needs and priorities as determined by and in Lancashire over the next five to 10 years.

"This would be across four core themes of economic growth and investment; transport, connectivity and infrastructure; early years, education, adult skills and employment; and environment, climate change and housing quality."

Rishton ward's Labour Cllr Kate Walsh - who abstained along with Overton Independent Patrick McGinley and his ward Labour counterpart and former Hyndburn Council leader Michael Hindley - told the meeting: "I do have concerns with the county deal. I believe that district councils are being bullied into accepting a deal. "

Labour's current council leader Cllr Miles Parkinson said afterwards: "I am very pleased indeed at the vote. We are getting left behind by Manchester and Liverpool."

Conservative group leader Cllr Marlene Haworth said: "We voted in favour as it was the right decision."