Councillors have insisted a potential East Lancs to Manchester rail or tram link deserves further study - after a government funding axe.

New Chancellor Rachel Reeves has scrapped the Restoring Your Railway Fund, which was looking at a train and tram link from Rawenstall to Manchester via Bury.

The decision was branded a ‘betrayal’ by Rossendale Council’s Tory group leader Cllr Scott Smith last week.

Former Conservative MP Sir Jake Berry had also previously suggested Rossendale Council and neighbouring Bury might work together to see if the Metrolink tram network could be extended to the valley.

Green Cllr Julie Adshead said: “The recent announcement to scrap the potential funding stream for a valley rail link came as disappointing news. Much has been said about the economic benefits a commuter link to Manchester would have brought to the valley.

"But, very importantly, this could have been part of a desperately-needed improvement to our public transport infrastructure.

“In the move away from using fossil fuels, the majority of valley residents will not be able to shift seamlessly to the electric car alternative.

"Those who do not drive also need to be able to get around in order to survive and thrive.  There is a pressing environmental and social need for good transport services. 

"This is the case not just for residents of Rawtenstall but for the entire valley, particularly its eastern end, which has very poor transport links.

“The justification put forward is the need for public spending cuts to fill a ‘black hole’. But the announcement comes in tandem with the commitment to massive increases in defence spending, significantly increasing the country’s contribution to NATO. 

"Providing the funding for part of a sustainable transport system that would meet the social needs of our left-behind population would have been such a tiny drop in this ocean.”

But Community First Cllr Alan Neal said: “I think there were various problems with the Rossendale-Manchester rail link idea.

"One was the previous government made lots of promises and wrote lots of cheques although they could not cash them. Another was the East Lancashire Railway was opposed to the potential development of rail connections at the Bury end, so I suspect they will be pleased with the recent announcement by the new government.

“Another factor is some parts of Rossendale, such as Whitworth, are fairly close to Rochdale railway station. So perhaps the government felt reopening a Rossendale railway link was not the best use of resources at a time of big debt."

On the idea of having a Metrolink tram connection to Rossendale, Cllr Neal added: “I think that is worth looking at. There are old track beds at Whitworth and running through Rossendale which could be developed for trams, which are much lighter weight than trains. Trams are more realistic."