A FIGHT to save Rossendale Council has been launched after it was revealed Greater Manchester authorities have held talks about pinching the borough from Lancashire.

Senior Tory councillor, Neil Smith, has warned that council chiefs from Rochdale and Bury have been in talks to take the valley as part of reorganisation in regional government.

The council is thought to be ripe for abolition after it was branded 237 out of 237 similar councils in last year's Audit Commission Report.

There are currently 20,552 people in the borough but some councillors feel the changes could have a detrimental affect on the valley's employment and jobs at the town hall.

The chief executive of Bury Metro, Mark Sanders, said discussions had been made at officer levels in connection with the future of regional government, it a bid to make authorities more viable.

He said: "There have been no secret meetings but, at purely officer level, both ourselves and Rochdale as northern Greater Manchester neighbours have been informally discussing the potential impact of regional government on local authorities like ourselves which has including talking about Rossendale.

"We have informed Rossendale about this. Bury Metro Council is really only responding to the central government agenda.

"A regional government for the North West is likely to lead to a review of local government arrangements in the region and expanding Bury or Rochdale into Rossendale is clearly something which others might well be discussing in the future -- although for our part there would have to be support for the idea from the people of Rossendale."

He added: "It wouldn't be up to us to make any final decisions, it would be in the hands of central government after the referendum is held next year."

Coun Smith said he spoke to Rossendale's chief executive Owen Williams about the talks.

He said: "It's on the cards that Rossendale will be broken up. We are on the edge of that right now and because of what we have been through we are ready to be taken over.

"I understand there will be a bid to put in a bid through the boundary commission to put two-thirds of Rossendale in Bury and one third in Rochdale."

Coun Michael McShea said: "I am absolutely appalled at this. I am very upset about the whole thing. We need to know why this has only just come out and if secret discussions have been going on we need to know what has been said.

"We don't know what implications this could have on Rossendale including the future of some people's jobs."

Mr Williams is now putting together a report for councillors on the issue.

Chairman of the corporate policy committee, which has discussed the fears, David Hancock said: "This borough hasn't been involved in discussions whatsoever, which I think is an absolute disgrace. When we look at East Lancashire it's paramount that we take it seriously.

"The future for Rossendale lies in East Lancashire. Rawtenstall, Bacup and Haslingden are situated better in East Lancashire than they would be in Bury or Rochdale.

"We have no connections or crossed links with Bury so there is no case for linking up with them.

"If we can be a central part of East Lancashire, the population is as big as Merseyside and Manchester making us into a powerful economic unit and that's a far better prospect for Rossendale."

Speaking after the meeting Coun Nick Pilling added: "It would be detrimental to the people of Rossendale if this was to happen."