A "REBEL" bid for a £25 million cash package for Burnley could cause immeasurable damage to the town's standing in the eyes of the Government, a council chief claimed today.

Deputy council leader Rafique Malik said the proposal by the Daneshouse Community Partnership to challenge the town's official Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) bid and have the money channelled instead to the deprived Daneshouse area was "naive and irresponsible".

He accused Liberal Democrat Mozaquir Ali, who is spearheading the rival bid, of playing politics and causing division in the town.

Both Burnley Council and the town's Regeneration Forum - the partnership which spearheads regeneration funding bids - have agreed to support a new jobs and better housing package based on the rundown Burnley Wood and Accrington Road areas - despite earlier officers' advice that any bid not including Daneshouse was unlikely to succeed.

Coun Malik said: "The Daneshouse bid has no support - not even from Coun Ali's own Liberal Democrat party.

"His action could wreck the whole process and and could cause immeasurable damage to Burnley.

"We will be looked upon as irresponsible people by the Government Office."

Coun Malik said the official plan to aim SRB at Burnley Wood and later make Daneshouse the focus of a £50 million New Deals regeneration bid was the best way forward.

"In all the circumstances, Burnley would be getting the best deal this way," he said.

Coun Ali claimed the Partnership had received the Government go-ahead to make the rival application and would be appointing consultants to help prepare the bid.

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