TENANTS and home owners are boycotting a council meeting tonight which they claim will not allow them to discuss what they want.

Members of Padiham and Hapton Area Management Committee said they suggested items which they would like to hear discussed but when they received the agenda for tonight's Padiham and Hapton area sub-committee they were not on the schedule.

A meeting was held yesterday of four of the tenant representatives and the two owner-occupiers on the sub-committee.

Owner occupier Mrs Ann Bartlett said: "We have all decided not to attend the meeting and to send our apologies."

But tonight's meeting at Padiham Town Hall should still go-ahead because the remaining members will still make a quorum. Mrs Bartlett said: "We wanted to discuss the constitution because we have no legal document just an agreed document which has not been signed.

"We also wanted to discuss why the tool libraries in both Padiham and Burnley are not being used, we were told there was some problem with insurance.

"We also asked for an item on carbon monoxide detectors because the tenants all have gas central heating and there are concerns.

"Each time we suggest something we get told we can't discuss this. And now we have been told we have to put forward agenda items five weeks before the meeting takes place."

Principal administrative officer Ruth Wynne, who is responsible for what goes on the agenda, said : "Draft agendas were sent out three weeks ago and no-one suggested any additional items at that stage. Then when the final copy was printed last Friday the AMC came forward with the extra items."

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