IN recent years there have been more and more demands for greater accountability from local authorities.

People believe they don't have enough opportunity to participate in the decision-making process and despite talk of freedom of information many maintain things are getting worse not better.

Reorganisation means old-fashioned committee meetings no longer take place and too many matters are thrashed out in private gatherings by a handful of councillors and officers.

By the time voters hear about what's happening it's often too late to have any influence because everything is already cut and dried.

That's why it's good news that Rossendale councillors have ditched a move which would have stopped voters turning up at council meetings to question them.

Officials wanted to introduce a system where questions could only be asked if they had been submitted in writing three days in advance of the meeting.

Labour leader David Hancock described the proposal as "totally unfair" since minutes only come out five days before meetings - so the rule would have given the public just 48 hours to write in.

Such an undemocratic notion deserved to be strangled at birth.