A GROUP representing more than 840 council house tenants claims it is being prevented from doing its job by town hall bosses.

Trouble-hit Padiham and Hapton Area Management Committee says Burnley Council chiefs have effectively suspended its activities.

The group's officers claim the council has put its finances under threat and wants to rip up the present constitution.

Now the tenants' group is in an official grievance procedure with the town hall and has taken its case to the Department of the Environment. But the council's director of community services Ian Saville, today strongly denied the claims, stating the council fully supported the AMC's work, but that the proposed changes in constitution were legally necessary.

The group says that although it suspended its representative on Burnley housing committee, the move has been ignored by the council, which allowed her to attend and vote at the last committee meeting.

"This in itself has shown total ignorance and disrespect to the Padiham and Hapton Management Committee and to the tenants and residents of the area," said a press statement issued today.

The public bust-up comes at a time when the town hall is carrying out two long-running investigations into events surrounding the AMC. An inquiry into the AMC's attempts to buy a mini bus 18 months ago is still ongoing and an investigation into the activities of former group chairman Tony Brankin, has still to get fully under way, although it was announced by the town hall many months ago.

Members now feel they are being stigmatised for events of the past.

Press officer Ann Bartlett, said: "We have been told our constitution is not a legal document, yet we have worked under it for years.

"We are now told we are not a tenants' group but a sub-committee, yet unlike other sub-committees which meet every six weeks, we have not had a meeting at council since February."

Tenants' chairman Coun Granville Lord, added: "We're very unhappy with the present situation, but we are not getting any answers from the town hall."

Mr Saville said there was a need to separate the tenants' group from the sub-committee elements within it, following legal advice.

The authority's actions were necessary and not in any way illegal, he said.

He said the council could not accept any change in the housing committee representative until the proper procedures were carried out.

He added: "I can understand this period of uncertainty is causing some worry.

"But there is no intention to victimise or damage the group in any way, and we appreciate the hard work and effort they are putting in."

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