AFTER a year of uncertainty for the council, which was placed 237 out of 237 councils in September by the Audit Commission, Rossendale is looking to get back on track.

The team that will steer the borough into the future has now been set in place, including the new chief executive Owen Williams, deputy chief executive Gillian Bishop, borough solicitor Mark Weston, head of finance Philip Seddon and director of landlord services Lynn Hurrell.

Labour currently has 24 seats and Conservatives have 12 seats and among those up for re-election are Labour councillors, Charles McCaw, Thomas Aldren, Ronald Pickup, Denise Hancock, Dale Connearn and Stewart Lythgoe alongside Conservatives Alison Tickner and Bill Challinor.

Labour may face a tough battle to retain control after winning a landslide victory to retake control of the council after two years of Conservative rule.

The roles were reversed from the 2000 elections when the Tories took power for the first time in 14 years.

Despite the Audit Commission ruling against handing over of control of Rossendale Council to Whitehall, it still insisted the beleaguered authority had a long way to go.

A second report still found widespread weaknesses which caused the commission to consider asking the Secretary of State for Local Government to intervene.

But the council's positive response and its efforts to put things right, enabled the decision to be put on hold.

The follow-up inspection found a recovery plan which showed it was broadly on track and making significant progress, with the assistance of other councils in the area.

As a result the inspectors decided intervention was unnecessary - although the option remains available.

But they said there were still "certain areas" which needed attention, including housing, community safety, leisure and housing benefits.

They found that councillors from both political parties recognised the need to change and that there was now evidence of cross-party support for the recovery process and councillors' relationships with officers had improved significantly.

But the Labour-controlled council decided to bite the bullet after years of deliberations about cutting its five leisure facilities, leaving residents in uproar.

Council leader Graham Pearson said that despite the damming Audit Commission report, in the past year there had been many positive aspects to focus on.

He said: "We have had a community safety officer in post for nine months now to meet the recommendations of the Audit Commission and an ASBO officer who has been seconded from the police force.

"The new director of landlord services is starting this month, after arrears fell tremendously over the past 12 months.

"We are continuing to work with Pendle Leisure Trust until September and then we will assess the situation and move on from there.

"The past year has been very positive and we aim to improve on that next year."

To date, Haslingden pool remains open, the AB and D Centre is being run by an action group, and Haslingden Public Hall closed in the New Year and is now going to be sold for private use.

Proposals to transform the Astoria into council chambers have been put forward and the group CLAW (Community Leisure Association of Whitworth) is to to reopen Whitworth Pool.

The council received a blow when Labour councillor John McManus, one of its longest serving councillors, hit out at the "lack of leadership" and said he would not seek re-election in May.

Coun McManus, who represents Helmshore, wrote an open letter to the leader, Coun Pearson, and deputy Coun David Hancock, in which he stated he could see no point in standing again "as a rubber stamp for officer suggestions".

The former council leader and chairman of the overview and scrutiny committee, hopes that with the help of the new chief executive and his deputy, Rossendale will face a brighter future.

He said: "Now that we have a young chief and deputy I am hoping they will bring about some much needed changes, but it will be tough for them and they will have to prove themselves."

Conservative councillor Alison Tickner, who is up for re-election in the Greenfield ward, said: "It is all about value for money for people living in Rossendale.

"The council tax has gone up by 17.4 per cent and the people need to understand why that rise has occurred so they can make an educated judgement as to whether or not they are getting value for money.

"We all want Rossendale to be a better place for us to live and work and this can be achieved if the council listens to the people and takes on board what they have said rather than going off on their own agenda."

This year the Liberal Democrats have fielded four candidates in Rossendale, Philip Young, Cribden, Catherine Long, Greenfield, James Pilling, Helmshore and Paul Marx, Worsley.