A councillor sparked outrage by claiming Blackpool resembled a "Chernobyl" wasteland.
Cllr Paul Hayhurst blasted the seaside resort which he said "looks like Chernobyl no matter how much money you put in there".
The independent councillor, of the neighbouring Fylde Borough Council, has apologised after making the comment at a meeting last week.
A row broke out at the Fylde Council meeting which focused on Lancashire devolution.
The Chernobyl disaster was an infamous 1986 USSR nuclear accident, in what is now Ukraine, which caused contamination and radiation poisoning.
The comments sparked fury, as Blackpool regularly hosts children from Belarus for holidays whose families are still suffering from Chernobyl's after-effects.
Now Cllr Hayhurst has apologised, stressing his remarks were "not an attack on Blackpool", but a fear that Flyde could end up being swamped by its neighbour.
Flyde, to the south of Blackpool, boasts rival Lancashire seaside resorts such as Lytham and St Annes.
Both Blackpool and Fylde Council in the end voted to support the draft devolution deal for Lancashire, which involves all the authorities in the county.
Explaining his choice of words, Mr Hayhurst said this week: "My speech was not intended as an attack on Blackpool.
"But (it) was a warning to Fylde that devolution will almost certainly mean that Fylde will be engulfed by Blackpool and become part of a Greater Blackpool.
"Cosying up to Blackpool will give the wrong message to the government and will, no doubt, ease the way for Fylde to be eventually consumed by its larger neighbour.
"I am sure that this will be hugely unpopular by the council taxpayers in Fylde who will end up paying for Blackpool's deprivation and failed tourism industry."
In his statement Cllr Hayhurst warned while Blackpool had "enjoyed its best season for many years", the lifting of Covid restrictions meant it would "revert to its normal role as the last resort."
But his initial remarks were branded "sour grapes" and disrespectful by Blackpool Council leader Lynn Williams.
She invited him to visit Blackpool and see the regeneration of the town for himself, including the £28m new conference centre.
Cllr Lynn Williams described the comments as "very disappointing and ill-informed".
She added: "It's also incredibly disrespectful to a neighbouring council at a time when - to deliver a great deal for all of the residents of Lancashire - we need to work together.
"So if this councillor wants to come to Blackpool, as he's clearly not been for a while, we can show and explain all the many things we are doing to regenerate the town."
Stressing how Blackpool often hosts Belarus families who are feeling the after-effects of Chernobyl, she added his nuclear fallout remarks were "most deplorable".
She added: "Our having that connection through the generosity of local charities and residents of Blackpool hosting children is just really deeply unpleasant and unnecessary."
While Cllr Tony Williams, leader of Blackpool Council's Conservative group, has complained to Fylde Council that the comments were "defamatory".
He said: "This is insulting to everyone who lives and works in the town and to its many exciting attractions and cultural treasures.
"Blackpool has provided free holidays to the children of Chernobyl for many years.
"To use one of the worst nuclear disaster areas as a cheap political dig at a neighbouring authority is absolutely disgraceful.
"I believe Coun Hayhurst's comments breach the Democratic Code of Conduct and I have made my formal complaint under those rules."
Blackpool currently has a £1bn growth and prosperity programme with hundreds of millions of pounds of investment including new hotels, a conference centre, offices and a £300m leisure development.
