COUNTY councillors have approved plans to spend nearly £500,000 on employing staff to tell them what is going on in four districts of Lancashire.

District Partnership officers are to be employed in Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn and Preston as part of a pilot project.

It is hoped the 10 new officers will help improve the working relationships between borough and county councillors and officers.

The ultimate goal is to have district partnership officers in every district of the county.

They would also be responsible for providing county councillors with information when requested, setting up consultations on important issues and trying to raise the profile of what the county council does well locally.

As well as creating new posts to oversee the district partnership project, part of a campaign by council leader Hazel Harding to give the county council a better 'locality focus', assistants to the partnership officers will also be appointed. The cost of the scheme, including salaries and setting up costs, is £430,000.

They too will have to research queries from local county councillors and produce newsletters to keep the public informed on what the county council is up as well

The project is being pioneered in areas when Neighbourhood Renewal cash has been allocated by the Government.

The nature of the scheme to improve deprived areas has meant county councils and borough councils have had to work together. But the cost of the scheme and its aims has raised eyebrows.

Coun Bernard Whittle, Conservative, said: "Surely most of this should already have been covered by other people and by ourselves.

"We should already know what is going on locally."

Coun Anthony Jones, Conservative, added: "If it is going to work, it needs to be done across the county."

When Coun Harding took office she pledged to make the county more accountable to people in the districts and more accessible, too.

She told the meeting the new officers would help achieve this aim.

"If it is expanded into Rossendale, where I am a county councillor, I am sure it will be well received."

A county spokesman said the aim of the officers was to support members, engage with the local councils and help the council open itself up to the public.

Chris Trinick, director for change at Lancashire County Council, said: "We know a lot about what doesn't work but not a lot about what does."