REGIONAL assembly chiefs have been called in to explain the benefits of changing the make-up of local government to concerned councillors.

The Ribble Valley branch of the Lancashire Association of Parish and Town Councils has called the closed meeting for September 4 in the Ribble Valley Council Chamber.

The concerned councillors want to know from the North West Regional Assembly exactly what regional government will mean for the Ribble Valley and other boroughs in the North West.

Branch secretary Roger Hirst said: "We want to know what regional government will mean for parish and town councils, and Central Government. A North West Government could have huge implications for local people and we could find ourselves being asked to vote on something we don't understand."

The Ribble Valley successfully staved off extinction during the 1994 Local Government Review, when review bosses suggested the borough be abolished and divided between Blackburn, Burnley, Pendle and Preston.

Residents formed CARVE: Campaign Against the Ribble Valley's Extinction and forced them into a rethink after taking part in a huge demonstration.

Ribble Valley councillors voted to fight regional government tooth and nail at a council meeting earlier this year.

Councillors in other areas are expected to follow suit when they debate the matter as the campaign for a North West Parliament gathers pace.

Politicians have been involved in heated exchanges over the pros and cons of regional government.

Supporters say regional government will be in a better position to attract European funds and improve the economic well-being of the North West.

But critics claim a huge elected assembly will cost millions of pounds to run and be bureaucratically burdensome.

It will be dominated by Liverpool and Manchester, with the interests of Lancashire coming a poor second, they claim.

It's not yet clear what will happen if a North West Parliament gets the go-ahead, although district councils like Ribble Valley, Hyndburn and Pendle, are expected to be abolished and swallowed into an East Lancashire Unitary Authority similar to Blackburn and Blackpool.

The Clitheroe meeting will be attended by North West Regional Assembly chief executive Steve Machin, deputy chief executive Gillian Bishop and communications manager Simon Crawshaw. Mr Crawshaw said: "We are delighted to be attending this meeting, which will raise awareness of the issues arising from the publication of the Government white paper, Your Region, Your Choice.

"Regional government raises unprecedented opportunities for North West people, who may wish to opt for a directly-elected regional assembly."

The North West is likely to be one of the first regions in the country to have a referendum on the matter.