THE future of a ‘safe house’ for victims of domestic violence has been secured after council chiefs pledged to retain ownership of the facility.

Pendle Community Safety Partnership (CSP), which owns the Domestic Violence Refuge and supports Pendle Domestic Violence Services, last month drew up a tender to invite groups to run the facility – prompting fears the vital services would disappear.

But Geoff Whitehead, CSP manager, said the council had decided to retain ownership of the refuge and continue to support Pendle Domestic Violence Services to avoid ‘financial risks’ to the local authority.

He said the council’s decision to invite community groups to run the refuge was taken as bosses wanted to copy other parts of the country where the voluntary sector takes responsibility for domestic violence services.

He said: “The change was not brought about as a cut, but from the desire to provide a seamless service for women suffering from domestic violence.

We drew up a tender to invite groups to come in and run that service.

However it became clear very early on that there would be financial risks to the council in doing this. We therefore decided on balance to retain ownership of the refuge and continue to support Pendle Domestic Violence Services.”

And he quashed fears that services for victims of domestic violence in Pendle could diminish.

He said: “We have also just received £13,000 in funding from the Home Office to fund the post for an Integrated Domestic Violence Advocate, who will work with victims of the most serious cases of domestic violence.

“This has added to the £6,000 received earlier in the year from Safer Lancs Board, match funded by Pendle Community Safety Partnership.”