VOLUNTEERS claim an animal welfare charity shop's future is threatened by council plans to open similar premises next-door-but-one.

The shop, run by Oswaldtwistle's Only Foals and Horses in Penny Street, Blackburn, will be forced to compete with different charity shops each week.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is charging charities a subsidised £100 per week to rent the property, with gas, water and electricity included.

Only Foals and Horses, which looks after sick and abandoned horses and other animals at its base off Haslingden Old Road, pays £250 per week to the council for the same-sized shop and has to pay for utilities on top, volunteers said.

A volunteer at Only Foals and Horses said: "They worked on that shop for four weeks, doing rewiring, putting an expensive new window in, and this was done by contracted out builders, not council workers.

"It's a waste of money seeing as this whole row of shops and the market will be coming down next year. They should have spent the money on the original shop on Lord Street West."

She added: "It will be next-door-but-one and we'll have to compete with a different charity every week. At the end of the week they can't take anything with them so do a binbag of things for one pound. People are going to spend their pound at that shop and not ours."

The council provides shop facilities in Blackburn to accommodate weekly sales events by local charities. But it has said the previous shop in Lord Street West fell below Fire Risk Assessment criteria and had to be shut down.

Petitioners have camp-aigned for a new site, and the council has obliged, working on the Penny Street property to ensure it meets health and safety standards. Charities using the shop will face a rent bill doubled from £50 to £100 to reflect the improved accommodation. Coun Colin Rigby, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "The cost of tidying up the unit and carrying out essential checks to ensure it complies with statutory health and safety requirements was £5,000.

"The redevelopment of the present market site is a few years off and we are contin-uing to let shop premises and stalls on the market to maintain the economic vibrancy of Blackburn Town Centre while the major regeneration is taking place.

"The bookings of the charity shop are to local registered charities only and they must provide evidence to this effect."

The new premises in Penny Street open on Monday, July 23 with the Inner Wheel Club of Blackburn taking the first weekly lease.