A RURAL borough's Conservative leadership has made clear it will not join in plans for an all-purpose East Lancashire super-council.

In February the bosses of Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale launched a campaign to create a unitary authority.

The leaders of the four authorities sent a cross-party letter to local government secretary James Brokenshire calling for the new 'Pennine Lancashire' body to control all council services.

Hyndburn's Labour boss Cllr Miles Parkinson declined to sign it but the council, in the middle of the proposed new authority, has agreed to join in any discussions on its formation.

Now Tory bosses of neighbouring Ribble Valley have made clear they will not voluntarily join any such scheme.

Borough Tory bosses have previously indicated unwillingness to join in an earlier plan for a Lancashire-wide combined authority with more-extensive devolved powers,

With all Ribble Valley's wards up for election on May 2, Conservative candidate for Wilpshire and Ramsgreave and the council's economic development spokesman Stuart Hirst said ‘’We will campaign tirelessly to keep the Ribble Valley independent and preserve the borough’s integrity.

"’The result of involvement in this super council would be dominated by Labour-controlled councils.

‘’There is little in common between the predominantly urban old mill towns of East Lancashire and the rural Ribble Valley.

"The rural voice of the Ribble Valley would be lost and we would become the cash cow for urban Lancashire."

Cllr Phil Riley, Blackburn with Darwen Council's deputy leader, said: "The council involved in the unitary plan have historical, economic and housing links. There is no need to incluce or consult Ribble Valley."