A DRAFT constitution for a charter which Rossendale councillors and would-be representatives will be asked to sign will be presented to a meeting tonight.

Rossendale Chartists is a group aiming to get the elected members of Rossendale Council to adopt a code to ensure it makes decisions in the best interests of the people who voted members in.

Tonight's meeting is at Rawtenstall Youth and Community Centre in Burnley Road, Rawtenstall, at 7pm.

Brenda Wilkinson, a local government employee for many years, has arranged the meeting.

She said: "The mix in both political groups is not good -- the 'old guard' appear to have lost sight of the key focus on public service while others lack ability and appear, at least in one of the political groups, to have been selected simply to support the status quo.

"There is a large general knowledge about good management practice and about very basic matters such as the legal rights of the public to information.

"There is no adequate training provided when councillors are elected.

"Then, subsequently, they meet major blocks on information for example on the history of the decision process on Ilex Mill."

She invited anyone interested to attend the meeting.