Troubled council produces 'wish-list'

Graham Pearson says the council is working hard

A ten-year plan to revive a Lancashire town has been unveiled.

Rossendale Council narrowly escaped intervention by the Audit Commission three months ago when it was rated among the worst-run authorities in the country.

Now councillors and council officers have produced the Rossendale Ten-Year Vision as a 'wish-list' for the town's future.

Plans include the creation of an East Lancashire university, and better promotion of the area's town centres.

'Poor services'

The Audit Commission still plans to monitor Rossendale Council, but postponed plans to call in special measures.

But it has warned that the situation could change if sufficient improvements are not made.

The commission had condemned the council as providing "unacceptably poor services at a high cost".

It said the crisis was "due to poor political leadership and the failure of senior management to tackle problems over a number of years".

Problems highlighted at the council include poor performance on housing repairs, no strategy to tackle poor leisure facilities, and a backlog of work on revenues and housing benefit.

Other plans in the council's vision include improving the health of residents, and making Rossendale a prime North West tourist spot.

Council leader Graham Pearson said that the council was "working hard" to make changes.