Hyndburn councillors have backed the creation of a new all-purpose Pennine Lancashire local authority and called for its headquarters to be located in the borough.
At the full council meeting in Accrington Town Hall on Thursday night they voted for the move as part of any final devolution settlement for the county.
The call comes amid major shake up plans for local democracy planned by the Labour Government which would see smaller district or borough councils replaced with larger authorities.
The meeting backed a proposal on any linked local government reorganisation from the authority’s Labour leadership.
It said: “This council supports the process of devolving powers from Whitehall to local government.
“It supports the creation of a Pennine Lancashire Unitary Authority (which includes (Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Ribble Valley and Rossendale) and supports the council’s inclusion in the Devolution Priority Programme.
“This council supports a proposal for Hyndburn to be the administrative centre of the unitary authority due to its symbolic and central location and good infrastructure.”
Council leader Cllr Munsif Dad backed the proposal Already, some Lancashire councils – including Ribble Valley and Pendle – have expressed concerns about being swallowed up into a larger unitary authority for the east of the county.
Hyndburn Council leader Cllr Munsif Dad told the meeting: “We feel Pennine Lancashire faces significant challenges including high levels of deprivation and ageing, poor quality housing stock.
“A unitary authority on this scale would provide the tools, resources and critical mass needed to tackle these issues effectively.
“Hyndburn is one of those areas that we consider has lost out from the county council arrangement.
“A Pennine Lancashire authority would allow us a stronger voice that would help us attract more local investment.
“We wish to express our strong interest in being included in the tranche of authorities to undergo reorganisation.
Tory group leader Zak Khan said Hyndburn should be the base for the new council “It will happen. We want Hyndburn to be the administrative hub.”
If the new Pennine Lancashire authority was fast-tracked, it would be up and running by April 2027, if not a year later.
Conservative group leader Cllr Zak Khan and Green councillor Cllr Shabir Fazal warned against rushing the borough and East Lancashire into the first phase of devolution-related local government reorganisation.
Cllr Khan said Hyndburn would be ideal for any new authority’s headquarters, as Burnley did not want to be run by Blackburn with Darwen and vice-versa, adding: “How great it would be to see Hyndburn at its centre.”
Peel ward Labour councillor Clare Pritchard said: “I would love to see Hyndburn as the centre of a new authority – a halfway house between Blackburn and Burnley.”
The council’s deputy leader, Cllr Noordad Aziz, said: “This is an opportunity we need to grasp. This is a now moment.”
Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Cllr Phil Riley declined to comment on the decision.