Oakleigh, Reedley, former Burnley Rural District Council offices.

From a story by Bert Bolton:
The difference of opinion between the Burnley and Pendle authorities over the future ownership of the former Burnley RDC headquarters, Oakleigh, which has simmered below the surface in recent months has now exploded into the open. As exclusively revealed in Tuesday's Burnley Express, Councillor Kenneth Broadley, leader of the Labour group on the Burnley authority, has accused Pendle of being "dilatory" and not responding to approaches from Burnley about Oakleigh's future use. Now, Councillor B. M. Rothwell, chairman of Pendle's Estates Committee, has lashed back, accusing Councillor Broadley of "trying to start a public squabble." This has stung Councillor Broadley into responding that an unheeded warning - given to Pendle in October - has now materialised and 100 jobs are to be lost to the area. But he thinks there might still be time to save this situation, if the two local authorities can reach an immediate agreement. Ownership of the former RDC headquarters has now been submitted to arbitration because the two authorities cannot find a mutually agreeable solution themselves.

Councillor Rothwell has dismissed the suggestion that the water authority may have established a divisional HQ in the Burnley area had the Oakleigh problem been settled by asserting that the divisional organisation of the regional water authority was "a completely separate issue from the ownership of Oakleigh." He said it had always been the wish of Pendle that Oakleigh should be let and not allowed to stand empty. He could only suggest that the two authorities expedite arbitration proceedings so that the ownership is settled at the earliest possible date. Councillor Broadley described Pendle's suggestion that details of Oakleigh should be made available publicly and offered to commercial and industrial interests as "the height of irresponsibility when there are public authorities still requiring accommodation."