THE funds provided by Pendle Council to help stage part of the Aviva Tour of Britain have been increased by 50 per cent.

Second stage of the race will power through the Ribble Valley and Pendle on Monday, September 7.

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It will start in Clitheroe town centre and finish in Colne town centre.

Executive councillors recently approved a request to set aside an additional £50,000 on top of the original £100,000.

Ribble Valley Borough Council, which is helping to stage the event, is currently providing £80,000 towards the event.

Vince Green, the council’s financial-services manager, said: “It was initially estimated that the cost of bringing the race to Pendle would be £100,000.

“However, it is difficult to predict the final cost of hosting a stage which is why the executive approved an additional £50,000.”

Cllr Mohammed Iqbal, leader of Pendle Borough Council, said: “We are fully signed up to host the finish of Stage Two and we want to make sure that our local economy really benefits from this fantastic opportunity.

“There is a lot involved in bringing the country’s biggest and best professional bike race to Pendle and it is important we have the right resources behind us.

“It is clear that the previous allocation of £100,000 was not enough. And due to the legal contract being signed before I became leader, I felt it necessary to approve this additional cost to ensure we showcase Pendle on the day of the race.”

Cllr David Whipp, chairman of Pendle’s Tour of Britain working group, said: “Bringing the Tour of Britain to Pendle is a major coup but it does mean we have a lot of work to do to make sure it runs smoothly on the day.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show the world what a beautiful place Pendle is and hopefully create a lasting legacy of attracting even more visitors to the area.”