A NEW joint Labour and Liberal Democrat administration will take control of Pendle Council on Thursday after the Conservatives lost control of the borough in the local elections earlier this month.

Following a services of meeting between all three parties it emerged today that neither of the two opposition groups would support a Tory bid to keep power.

At Pendle’s annual meeting at Nelson Town Hall, Labour leader Cllr Mohammed Iqbal will be installed as its leader with LibDem boss Cllr David Whipp as his deputy.

The new administration has pledged to reverse a series of policies implemented by the Conservatives during their year control with a majority of a single seat.

While Pendle (where Labour has 16 councillors and the LibDems 10 to the Conservatives 23) has now resolved who runs the council, in Burnley the issue is no clearer.

Labour leader Mark Townsend hopes his party, with 22 out of 45 councillors after losing five seats on May 2, can run the council as a minority administration.

The opposition parties are in talks to see if they can form a loose coalition out of eight LibDems, three UKIP councillors, five Burnley and Padiham Independent Party members, four Tories and one Independent councillor.

Cllr Townsend said: “We hope to be able to continue to run Burnley as a minority administration with support from other groups on an issue by issue basis. Talks are continuing with other parties.”

Cllr Iqbal promised Pendle would withdraw from talks about a Pennine Lancashire ‘super-council’, drop plans to sell Number One Market Street, review the use of a private company for litter enforcement and scrap a controversial housing development at Essex Street, Colne.

Cllr Iqbal said: “ I believe a Labour-led Council working with the Liberal Democrats will protect our vital front-line services and create additional opportunities for businesses to relocate into Pendle creating much-needed well-paid employment.”

Cllr Whipp said: “My group has decided we’ll be able to achieve more through an arrangement with Labour. We’ve come to a broad agreement on a wide range of issues. We will all have to accept compromises.”

Conservative leader Cllr Christian Wakeford said: “We are disappointed but will work with the other parties for the best interests of the people of Pendle."