A GATEWAY to Burnley has been likened to Beirut by a leading councillor furious at plans to deprive the area of millions of pounds of regeneration cash.

Lancashire county councillor Tony Martin branded the area around Burnley Central Station 'horribly grim' as he used it as a reason why East Lancashire needs more, not less, cash from Government.

He hit out after the North West Development Agency, which distributes Government regeneration cash, produced a regional economic strategy which he claimed only makes "fleeting reference" to East Lancashire.

Up until now, East Lancashire has been given tens of millions of pounds for projects because some of its council wards are among the most deprived in the country.

But in the new strategy, which will last up to 20 years, only whole boroughs which are among the most deprived in the country will get first share of cash.

None of East Lancashire's boroughs figure as the most deprived in the country because affluent areas within them cancel out the deprived areas.

Burnley Central West Coun Martin, Labour cabinet member for sustainable development, said: "We need serious amounts of cash to help this area, not just vague suggestions.

"The East Lancashire line is in desperate need of cash. WIth the exception of Blackburn, all the stations are uniformly horrible.

"Go to Burnley Central and, well, I'd rather get off at Beirut. It's horrible, stuck in the 1950s and generally depressing. It does nothing to help the area.

"There are two abandoned pubs there which were shut when it wasn't even popular to close down pubs. It is depressing.

"We need them to be giving us more money, not taking it away to help Greater Manchester and Merseyside."

The NWDA does plan to give East Lancashire help at Whitebirk, Blackburn, where a large business park is planned. The draft strategy also says support is needed to help people in East Lancashire get to new jobs being created elsewhere in the region.

Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency, said: "The Agency is actively encouraging all our partners across the region to submit their comments on the consultation draft of the strategy and participate in this important debate to help shape the future economic development of the Northwest.

"The RES belongs to the entire region and we will carefully consider all responses as we work to ensure that the final RES addresses the key issues affecting the region's economic performance."

Coun Martin said: "This report is very worrying because it's stripping East Lancashire of the money it needs to help lots of communities. It is no reassurance for people who live in an area which needs help that other parts of their borough are well off."

Coun Martin's call for more cash for East Lancashire has been supported by all three parties at LCC, and a response to the proposed strategy is now being prepared. Pendle Borough Council's executive committee has also expressed dismay.

Plans for a futuristic revamp of Burnley Central station were shelved in January after the cost of the project spiralled from £500,000 to £1million.

Burnley MP Kitty Ussher said Coun Martin had a 'colourful use of language'. She is meeting NWDA chiefs to discuss the report.

Ms Ussher said: "I don't think Burnley looks like Beirut. I want to make sure the money allocated from Government through the development agency benefits Burnley and there's a bit more work that needs to be done in that area.

"The report does have some good stuff in it. For instance it mentions advanced manufacturing so there is stuff for us already. I'm keen to make sure it's got measures in it to make us more prosperous. I'm fighting Burnley's corner on this one."

Opposition councillors have criticised Coun Martin for doing down the town.

Burnley Council Liberal Democrat group leader Gordon Birtwistle said: "That's an appalling statement from a county councillor who represents Burnley.

"It's high time somebody started speaking up for us rather than complaining all the time."