Council steps in to save youth hostel

8:05am Friday 15th September 2006

EARBY Youth Hostel has been thrown a lifeline after the Youth Hostel Association received an offer it could not refuse from Pendle Council.

The council launched a rescue package for the building, the only youth hostel in the borough, which was due to be auctioned next week and the Herald has now learned it has been withdrawn from sale.

The package includes the purchase of the Birch Hall Lane building for £200,000 and a further £20,000 towards improvements to the property.

"Our offer to buy the building and lease it back to the YHA has been accepted in principle.

"Although some details still have to be sorted out, there's sufficient agreement for the YHA to take it off the market," said Pendle and Barnoldswick Councillor David Whipp. It's a real coup for the borough council and a way of putting some of the money they got from the sale of land at Bawhead Road to good community use.

"As far as I am aware, no other local authority in the country has done this."

Coun Whipp said the YHA would continue to operate the hostel but Pendle Council would own the building. The agreement is for five years initially.

"I'm delighted that we've got an agreement to keep the hostel open. We are making a big effort to put Pendle on the tourist and visitor map and the loss of 22 beds overnight would have been a major blow.

"The investment will pay dividends for the wider economy of the area. We will be putting a lot of work into increasing the business at the hostel and ensure its long term sustainability," he added.

The purchase of the building is being funded from a contingency account in Pendle Council's capital investment programme.

Coun Whipp said the council was able to acquire the building because of the council's healthy finances.

One reason for the positive cash position was the controversial sale of the land at Bawhead Road, in Earby.

"Without that land sale we would not have been able to make the offer to buy the building," he said.

Coun Whipp added that it was a little annoying the building, which had been originally gifted to the YHA 50 years ago, was going to be sold off in the first place but he was delighted with the package Pendle Council had put forward.

"It is a lovely building and I am sure there will be a lot of annoyed potential private purchasers, who were looking forward to bidding for it at the auction, but it will be good to have it remain as a hostel for the wider community for a long time into the future."

Chris Tennant, chairman of Earby Parish Council and ward representative for the area said he was delighted in the borough council's success.

"I am pleased that the council and the YHA have been able to agree terms. The hostel was always well used because it was on the Pennine Way and is an asset to the Pendle community as well as the council," he said.