AN investigation has been launched after a building earmarked for the people of Earby was demolished.

Pendle Council officers who had been dealing with the pre-fabricated former Northolme Community Centre building said they were just as surprised as residents to discover it had been demolished and were under the impression it would be dismantled and re-sited.

The issue was raised during the public question time at the council's executive committee, which heard a replacement community centre on the opposite side of Back Salterforth Road had just been completed.

The old building was removed this week by Barnoldswick developers Corda Construction to make way for housing, the meeting was told.

But resident Tim Haigh said it had been demolished despite assurances for the last two years it would be re-sited on the nearby recreation ground and used as changing rooms for the town's football teams.

He said it appeared that the building, which had been there for almost 15 years, had been pulled down and left to burn with the council's approval and he called for an investigation in to what had gone wrong.

Council leader Coun Azhar Ali moved that such an investigation be carried out immediately by John Kirk, executive director (services), but Coun David Whipp said it would be inappropriate for certain council officers to be involved in that.

He said: "The developers and contractors recounted the telephone conversations which they said took place....and from what they've told me there was clear negligence on the part of a council officer and the way this has turned out is an appalling reflection on not a bungling council but a council that has deliberately trashed a building that should have been put to good use."

Coun Whipp was asked to withdraw his accusations by Coun Ali who said: "You have called the integrity of a senior officer in to question. I don't think it is right for anyone around this table to question anyone's integrity when they don't know all the facts.

But Coun Whipp refused.

Mr Kirk said the arrangement was that when the new replacement community centre was completed in Back Salterforth Road, which it was last week, council officers would look at the existing building being taken down in sections for that site to become a pavilion.

Mr Kirk said: "It seemed to be a good idea to use the existing building. The builders were very anxious to see the old building removed from the site preferably at the beginning of this week."

He said it was decided the rest of the building should be taken to a safehold until it could be re-sited, but when Colin Patten, services manager, visited the site later that day he found the building had been destroyed and part of it was being burned.

Mr Kirk said: "The site owner was anxious to build on that site and decided discussions with officers had not been satisfactory and he could not wait any longer.

"The building has been destroyed very much to the surprise of myself and Mr Patten."

After the meeting Earby councillor Doris Haigh who supported the use of the centre as changing rooms said she was shell-shocked and disappointed.

She said: "We were promised changing rooms on the recreation ground by the council and that is what we will still be demanding. I supported the idea from the footballing fraternity in Earby because the recreation ground had been upgraded to become a full-size pitch but there were no changing facilities."