A MOTION put forward to Pendle Council to refuse to provide any more evidence when the Nelson West public inquiry reconvenes was branded a 'ludicrous and irresponsible' idea.

Liberal Democrat councillor David Whipp proposed 'that this council offers no evidence to the reconvened public inquiry considering the clearance of houses in Nelson'.

The inquiry took place over several weeks earlier this year into the compulsory purchase of the first 160 of 400 homes earmarked for demolition in Whitefield.The Secretary of State decided he could not make a decision until he had further information and asked for the inquiry to be re-opened. Coun Whipp said: "The inquiry which went ahead many months ago was a decisive inquiry into whether this council was right in wanting to knock down all those homes, which is a very serous matter indeed.

"The inquiry went on for a very long time involving evidence from a range of people, including professionals and members of the community, and the inspector went away to make his decision.

"After many months, the inspector was quite clear that Pendle Council was wrong in wanting to knock down those houses." He said he did not agree that the Secretary of State should just look at certain parts of the evidence again.

Coun Whipp said: "I don't think we should offer any evidence. We should put up our hand and say we were wrong and will have to look again and do something different.

"If we want our neighbourhoods in Pendle to survive into the future we have to come to some kind of consensus about what should happen."

But his motion was slammed by opposition party councillors.

Conservative Sheila Derwent said: "I can't see why anyone would want to bite the hand that feeds them. We are desperately in need of money to improve housing in Pendle and to refuse to answer questions could see us dropping to the bottom of a black list. We must put forward that information."

Labour councillor Mohammed Iqbal said: "The motion is one of the most irresponsible ever considered by this council.

"To suggest we give no evidence at the reconvened public inquiry would not only prejudice the inquiry but would also condemn the Nelson West renewal area and the people who live there to low demand for their houses and little future for the value of those houses."

Coun Azhar Ali, leader of the council, described the motion as one of the most destructive ever put forward by the council. It was rejected and the council voted to continue with the inquiry when a new date was set.