A CASH loan has been agreed by Pendle Council to help keep a vital skills service for West Craven afloat after it encountered financial difficulties.

But opposition councillors have called for greater safeguards to ensure that the emergency investment for West Craven Together, which covers Barnoldswick, Bracewell, Earby, Kelbrook, Salterforth and Sough, is worthwhile.

Tory councillor George Askew said that the council should take a closer look at the running of WCT if it was thinking of approving a financial contribution.

He added: “I think that £27,000 is a lot of money. Could we see a constitution for West Craven Together before any more money goes into this?”

The money has come from the authority’s Working Neighbourhood Fund budget and came after a lengthy review process, according to council leader Coun John David.

The council wanted to reappraise its role and become a commissioner of regeneration projects, rather than leading them, he said.

Coun David added: “The checks that we did supported the view that the organisation was in financial trouble and unless we provided another injection of cash then they would have great difficulty in meeting their running costs.”

He told a meeting of Pendle full council that WCT provided an important service for the area, providing equipment which helped to establish small businesses.

Short-term funding has also been agreed, totalling £13,000, for the Open Door Furniture Recycling, on the same basis.

Later Coun David Whipp, chairman of the West Craven Together partnership, said the funding would help to keep the organisation running while other funding streams were sought.

The organisation, based at the Rainhall Centre in Barnoldswick, was awarded £1million by the Northwest Development Agency in 2005 for a programme to support 78 existing and start-up businesses locally.