RELATIONS between Brierfield Town Council and Pendle Borough Council have been strengthened after representatives from both met at Nelson Town Hall to discuss how they could work together.

Advice on preparing and submitting bids for various projects was one area in which the borough council helped out.

It highlighted that more than £4m of Single Regeneration Budget cash is being invested in Brierfield, including the £250,000 Brierfield Town Centre Pedestrian Enhancement scheme due to begin this year, the £195,000 being spent on grants for the town centre and £152,000 being directed to Brierfield Access for Training and Jobs.

More than £200,000 is also being spent via a variety of Community Economic Development projects.

Pendle Council leader Coun Azhar Ali said: "Quite clearly, there have been a lot of projects that the town council has not been aware of and this meeting has proven to be useful in establishing a framework via which we can not only communicate regularly but also put in officer assistance that will enable the town council through the area committee to try to secure additional monies for Brierfield."

Brierfield mayor Coun Bill Clegg, said: "There were some very encouraging discussions that took place at the meeting. We learned that as a town council we could bid for funding for regeneration initiatives via Pendle Council's Brierfield and Reedley Area Committee. In the past, we believed that as a town council we were not able to bid for such funding.

"We feel that we are developing better communication between ourselves and the borough council and this should benefit the people of Brierfield."