RESIDENTS should have easier access to Pendle Council services and local businesses with the setting up of a £358,000 interactive communications gateway.

It will coincide with a revamp of Pendle Council's website to ensure the content is regularly updated and easier to access.

Portals are being developed at a local and county level, both of which are being supported by local government online funding allocated by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

The Pendle Portal is being designed to create a communications gateway which will host a range of online services to meet the needs of residents, community groups and businesses.

Tenders will be invited from private sector partners for the creation and design of the portal, the hosting and management of the necessary hardware and systems, the development of technology toolkits for websites, bookings and secure payments and the provision of a content management system.

Online funding of £75,000 has already been allocated to the Pendle project and additional bids have been submitted to the European Regional Development Fund and other matched funding sources, such as Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

The estimated cost of the scheme, which includes start-up costs plus ongoing costs for years two and three, is £358,000.

They key partners for the portal are Pendle Local Strategic Partnership, Pendle Council, Pendle Community Network, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust, Nelson and Colne College, Northern Technologies, the voluntary sector, Lancashire County Council, the emergency services and organisations such as Connexions and Sure Start. Plans for the redesign of the council's website are also under way. When an outline specification is completed, external web design agencies will be invited to provide suggestions as to where they could assist with the the developments.

Derek Beesley, of Pendle Council's ICT Services, said: "It was stated in the council's recently aproved e-Government Strategy that although we are anxious to move forward swifty to develop our website into a fully transactional, information-rich site it is worth pointing out that, even in its current state, it compares favourably with most of our Lancashire district neighbours.

"This does not mean we are complacent about the need to improve our site.

"A full specification is being prepared for the development of a fully functional and modernised site.