Hyndburn's Tories and the former borough boss Miles Parkinson have welcomed its new Labour leader's 'U-turn' on the controversial £12.6 million Wilson's Sport Village in Clayton-le-Moors.

Last month Cllr Munsif Dad joined celebrations marking the completion of the steel framework of a controversial new leisure centre.

This was despite his objections to the project when leader of the opposition group, before May's local elections when Labour took control of the authority.

He said tearing down the already built steel structure was no value for money for residents.

Cllr Dad had supported Great Harwood residents and Labour councillors in opposing the project on Wilson's Playing Fields, which is a key part of Hyndburn's Leisure Transformation Project, over the associated permanent closure of the swimming pool in the township's Mercer Hall.

Conservative Cllr Loraine Cox, who led the project as leisure boss until May, said “The opportunity to bring in millions of pounds of investment to sports provision in Hyndburn is something we as local representatives should grasp.

"No matter what your political persuasion good local investment to improve our residents' lives is why we are elected.

"This is why it is pleasing to see the Labour controlling group are in full agreement with our original plans and are now understanding the importance of supporting the new Wilson's sports facility”.

Mr Parkinson, who was Labour leader before quitting the party and running the council as an independent until he lost his seat in 2023, said: "I am pleased finally Labour in Hyndburn have done a U-turn, from calling it a vanity project of mine, trying to stop the funding and voting against it at planning committee.

"I believe it is likely to be not the first or last U-turn we will see from Hyndburn Labour and Cllr Munsif Dad."

Cllr Dad said: "We vowed to review all the Conservatives' vanity projects to ensure they were delivering value for money for residents, and to listen to residents' concerns.

"We are actively addressing this.

"With the stage at which the Wilson's project currently stands it did not represent good value for money for it to be curtailed or abandoned.

"The steel structures were already in place."