LEADING councillors have agreed to consult editors and reporters before deciding whether to ban some important documents from being released to the media.

The move by Lancashire County Council's cabinet committee came after complaints that the proposals could lead to important decisions which affect people's daily lives being made in private. Councillors had been asked to back plans to ban the release of Part Two items on committee agendas to the Press.

But rather than agreeing to the changes recommended in a report to the meeting, leader of the county council Coun Hazel Harding, told the committee: "I want this matter to be discussed by our overview and scrutiny committee with the Press in attendance. I want editors and reporters to have their say before a decision is taken to see if they can come up with another solution.

"There are certain things which must be discussed in private. I will not allow council staff to hear about changes which may affect their jobs from anybody else other than the county council."

Coun Harding was shown a copy of yesterday's Lancashire Evening Telegraph editorial column, which condemned the proposals, before the meeting.

Kevin Young, editor of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, who had written a letter to Coun Harding protesting at the move, said: "I welcome this move. Hopefully, the council will see sense and live up to its previous promises of open government.

"To do otherwise would be utterly appalling and would let down thousands of council tax payers who have a right to know what is going on and how their money is being spent."

Coun Harding, who promised the county council would be more open when she became leader last year, had initially defended the proposal before the meeting. She said it was about behaving responsibly when the council dealt with material which was commercially sensitive or related to individuals.

She said the move followed a number of breaches of the previous rules but stressed these had not been by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

But opposition councillors had accused the leading group of shrouding the decision-making process in secrecy and Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, said the ruling group were behaving like sinister communists.

The report told councillors that the move would bring them in line with other public sector organisations.

Since 1985, Lancashire County Council has issued Part Two agenda items to the Press on the understanding councillors are consulted before anything was printed about them and, even then, they could only be reported after the meeting had taken place.

Part Two items are the issues normally discussed behind closed doors because they involve sensitive or private information, such as details about tenders for contracts or information on staff.

If the new rules are agreed, county councillors will also include a wider variety of topics under the Part Two rules. Only the titles of the reports discussed in part two will be made available to the Press unless they request further information.

Recent decisions to have been discussed in Part Two but later released to the Press on the request of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph include:

Bidding for £300million of Government cash to pay for an incinerator to burn the county's waste.

Closing a number of nurseries, including ones in Accrington, Clitheroe and Colne.

Closing children's homes, including ones in Accrington and Pendle.