HEALTH chiefs will never be allowed to build a drug centre in residential areas of Hyndburn, council bosses have vowed.

Following a protest from residents and Hyndburn Council, East Lancashire PCT bosses withdrew plans to site a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in Avenue Parade, Accrington.

Overturning the plans, PCT bosses said the onus was now on the council to find somewhere suitable.

However following a full council meeting, council leader Peter Britcliffe distanced himself from the plans and accused the PCT of “passing the buck”.

Following his suggestion that the centre should be housed in the PCT’s own PALS Health Centre, Paradise Street, he said the council had no further role to play.

In contrast, opposition leader Graham Jones said the council could have steered the PCT elsewhere sooner. He said he felt the council should now be involved. At a full meeting of the council, Coun Jones’s motion to keep the centre away from residential areas was passed, but his suggestions that the council play a part in a new search were taken out of the motion.

After the meeting Coun Britcliffe said: “We have suggested that the PCT house the centre in their own PALS centre.

“It’s away from residential areas and is the obvious choice.

"We’ve made a suggestion, we’ve told them it cannot be in a residential area, that’s our job done.”

Oppostion leader Council Graham Jones said: “The council has known about the centre for two years and kept ward councillors and Labour councillors out of the loop.

“ It was only after a meeting in July we became involved.”