CONCERNS have been voiced by a group campaigning for best practice in local Government about the way members of the public are treated at Rossendale Council meetings.

Rossendale Chartists secretary Brenda Wilkinson has written to the borough's Mayor Coun Jimmy Eaton to express concern that at a special council meeting so many members of the public turned up they were put into the committee room where they could hardly hear and were not provided with minutes.

The meeting was held to agree the council's response to the draft of the Audit Commission's report into Rossendale which branded it the worst authority of its kind in the country.

Alan Johnson, chairman of Rossendale Chartists says "It seems that it is very much business as usual. I was disgusted by the lack of provision for members of the public.

"We know that the council administration was given a very tight deadline to respond to the Commission's draft report but, following publicity about the meeting in the local press, thought could have been given to using one of the community halls that are apparently on the hit list for closure.

"It is also fair to ask why there was no presentation of the last minute response paper that was handed to Councillors at the meeting but not the public. We need a council that thinks community, seeks to inform the community and that listens to the community."