PENDLE'S first ever Council Shop is in danger of being forced to "shut up shop" because of a disagreement over rent.

Council officers are in talks with the Council Shop's new landlord after being told rent on the Barnoldswick property is going up from £2,000 to £10,000 a year.

The Council Shop, which opened in the Post Office Buildings in May 1997, was the first of a planned network of outlying council offices offering residents the chance to access a wide range of services on their doorsteps.

The authority paid £2,000 a year in rent to the then landlords, the Post Office.

But at the beginning of this year the Post Office sold the premises to a private company which offered the council a new non-negotiable lease for not just the Council Shop but also the rear yard, garage and first floor for five times the previous rent.

A report by council services director John Kirk said the council would have no use for the extra space on offer. "The rent appears to be well in excess of the going rate for similar premises in Barnoldswick," he added.

On Tuesday West Craven councillors agreed the authority should not have to pay more than the "market rate" for the premises.

Officers have been asked to find alternative sites for the Council Shop although councillors want the offices to stay where they are if possible.

The council's parks and cleansing departments and Barnoldswick Town Council will be asked to look at the possibility of them using the extra space on offer.