A DEATH knell has been sounded for Padiham’s re-cycling centre amid bitter recriminations from town councillors.

Deputy county council leader Albert Atkinson has confirmed that the Park Road household waste site will be axed as part of a programme of Lancashire-wide cuts.

Town mayor Coun Jean Cunningham has said she is ‘absolutely disgusted’ at plans to close the centre.

And her deputy Coun Bob Clark has condemned the ‘sheer arrogance’ of Coun Atkinson for refusing to meet with town councillors ahead of the closure decision.

Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle has also voiced his disapproval of the ruling, which will also see the Petre Arms site in Langho shut.

Parish councillors in neighbouring Simonstone had also backed the Padiham centre as many people from the village, and nearby Read, have used the site.

Coun Cunningham said: “We have never been approached by anyone from Lancashire County Council about this and I find it totally and absol-utely disgusting.”

Coun Clark added: “The sheer arrogance of the county councillor in refusing to meet with us is disappointing.”

In a letter to town clerk Elizabeth Bolton, Coun Atkin-son said a task group had already examined the feasib-ility of a number of household waste cen-tres across the county, and consult-ed over the closures programme and he saw no purpose in fielding questions in Padiham.

Mrs Bolton said the land for the Park Road site app-eared to be owned by National Grid and leased to waste contractor SITA, through the county council.

The MP and town councillors have been told that the lease is due to expire on Park Road and the National Grid is proposing to triple the rent for the land, prompting County Hall’s clos-ure decision.

Former borough mayor Coun John Harbour said: “I believe this has been done for purely financial reasons.

“The lease is due for Park Road and the county council don’t want to pay the new sum which is being asked for.”

Coun Atkinson approved the closures and a number of open-ing hours reductions at other sites, after being told that the moves would save £1million per year.