FEARS for the future of Rossendale as a council were sounded in discussions when the government's White Paper on regional devolution was discussed.

Conservative leader Coun Neil Smith told the corporate policy committee he feared the valley's council may be hived off into adjoining boroughs such as Hyndburn, Bury and Rochdale.

But Coun Nick Pilling said the report said no authority would go into another county so a link with Greater Manchester would not happen.

Deputy leader Coun David Hancock said what mattered was that Rossendale people got the best of services and council leader Coun Graham Pearson said Rossendale had been too insular in the past.

Coun John McManus sounded an optimistic note for an East Lancashire authority saying Rossendale was too small to attract staff and offer attractive wages.

He said a new authority could lead to a university for East Lancashire being set up.

"If we don't have a regional local government then we as Rossendale have got to be able to stand our cause and provide services that people can understand and we can't do that in a tiny authority like Rossendale," he added.