Questions have been raised about whether advice was followed around choosing a contractor for Haslingden market’s £500,000 redevelopment after a contract was ended because work was not done on time.

Rossendale Council recently issued a non-compliance certificate to a contractor regarding work and deadlines at Haslingden Market and appointed another contractor to continue the project.

The project involves clearing the old market place behind Higher Deardengate and Blackburn Road, and creating new stalls, food cabins and sheltered seating.

The council is spending £200,000 on the refurbishment and the remaining £300,000 is from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

But queries around the due diligence process for choosing a contractor were raised at the latest full council meeting.

Conservative Cllr Simon Holland said: “Can the leader update us on the status of the work taking place at Haslingden Market?”

Labour borough leader Cllr Alyson Barnes, said: “I know concerns were raised about this issue in the recent General Election campaign.

“A tender exercise for the building work went live in early 2024 and work started on-site in March. Through the council’s management of the work and no-completion on time-scales, a certificate of non-completion was issued and the site came back into council control in mid-June.

“Councillors will appreciate there is a lot of working going at the council at the moment, And just letting contract times slip is probably not the right approach. So I think this was the right thing to do. The contractor was paid only for the works completed.

“To get things up-and-running again. we quickly carried out a new mini-tender with the contractor who originally bid for the work.

“The new contractor has now been appointed which will safeguard work for sub-contractors already committed to the scheme. Existing market traders have been kept fully informed of what was going on.

“The new contractor is B&E Boys. We expect the work to resume at the end of July with a revised completion date of early October. ”

Cllr Holland added: “Can the leader confirm the recommendation from the due diligence carried out, to reject the original contractor, was not followed?”

Cllr Barnes replied: “I’m not aware we were asked to reject the original contractor. I don’t know. That sounds completely left-field. I would ask councillors if they have got any serious concerns about things like contracts that they raise them with me immediately and don’t wait for a council meeting to ask a question that we can’t answer,

"I don’t think it’s useful at all. But I will look at this tomorrow and if you can provide me with evidence you have, that that’s the case, I would be grateful.”