COUNCIL bosses have been accused of closing Rawtenstall's Astoria Ballroom so they could use it for a town hall extension.

The Rawtenstall leisure facility was axed as part of £400,000 budget cuts by Rossendale Borough Council.

But claims that the decision was taken for the council's own benefit were strongly dismissed by council leader Graham Pearson, who insisted the Astoria had to be closed because it was costing the tax payer up to £65,000 a year.

The facility, in The Precinct off Bank Street, closed on New Year's Day as the authority was forced to save money after an Audit Commission report branded it the worst council in the country in September 2002.

It was axed alongside Haslingden Public Hall, Whitworth Baths, Bacup's Aged, Blind and Disabled Centre, and Rawtenstall Museum.

Campaigns to save Whitworth Baths and the AB and D Centre were later launched, while the museum was saved when it was taken over by Lancashire County Council.

Councillors now plan to use the ballroom for meetings and training, as the current town hall is considered too small.

The town hall, however, will be retained by the council, as a base for officers to carry out day-to-day work.

Conservative councillor Neil Smith said the council rushed to make a decision without considering any other options.

He said: "On March 3 proposals to move Rossendale Borough Council staff were discussed, no decision was taken at that stage. How then, 15 days later on March 18, could we suggest that we use the Astoria when all options were not taken into account? I think the facility was closed for the council's own gain."

Coun Pearson said they had to make quick decisions because staff members needed premises to work from. He added: "We would have had staff that would have had nowhere to go and would have had to go into rented accommodation which would have been a waste of money.

"The decision to close the Astoria was taken into consideration because of the amount of money that building was costing the tax payer.

"The facility was under utilised and did not create revenue. Marketing of the facility had not worked."