A PROPOSAL to invest £100,000 to help improve educational attainment in a borough has been scuppered.

Cllr Paul White, the deputy leader of the Conservative Party in Pendle, said he fears further investment into improving children's education will 'not be looked at again' by Pendle Council after his late bid to invest £100,000 into the Pendle Challenge was turned down by Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors during the council's special budget meeting last Thursday.

Established last year, the Pendle Challenge was set up to improve education and opportunities for thousands of children across the borough after the average reading age among children was recognised to be the worst performing in the county.

Over 80 organisations, including teachers from Pendle's nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools, Pendle Council and Lancashire County Council, joined forces last March to tackle the borough's challenges to learning.

Funded by Lancashire County Council, new initiatives, including the Pendle Reading Challenge, have been created to improve student attainment in the area and enhance children's life chances.

Further investment into the initiative was rejected by the council at its special budget meeting last week after the Conservatives tabled a match fund investment of £100,000 into the year-old programme.

Pendle council leader Mohammed Iqbal said he was disappointed the Conservatives had 'bounced' the bid to the council at the eleventh hour but assured he would look at the possibility of investing more money into the initiative later in the year.

After the meeting, Cllr White said: "Labour and the Lib Dems are saying they will look at the issue later in the year but what they are really saying is they won't look at it again.

"They're just saying they will because it gets them out of a sticky situation in the future.

"Pendle is our borough and the Conservative Party want to do what we can to improve education standards for future generations."

Cathy Bridges, who is lead practitioner for literacy at Park High School in Colne and is spearheading the Pendle Reading Challenge, said she would 'welcome' any further financial support from the council.

She said: "The Pendle Reading Challenge will always welcome financial support from the community, the council and anybody interested in supporting the young people's lives in Pendle.

"We will never turn down donations which would be used wisely for the benefit of the children."