A STREAMLINED committee system has been chosen for a new-look Rossendale Council which will come into being at the end of the year.

Councillors have agreed that the proposed new structure is specifically geared to the needs of smaller authorities like Rossendale.

They rejected other options involving a directly-elected mayor as being more suited to big cities.

There will continue to be a Mayor of Rossendale chosen, as now, by the councillors and a council leader chosen by whichever political party has most members.

Chief executive Steven Hartley has this week written to the Secretary of State informing the government of Rossendale's preferred option.

The other possibilities involving a directly-elected mayor and a cabinet system were, he said, not as appropriate in an area like Rossendale with its mix of towns and villages, where several important services such as education and social services were provided by the county council and where each town benefited from its own strong political representation and involvement in decision-making.

The final decision was made at a meeting of the corporate policy sub-committee this week following examination of the fine detail of how it will work.

Mr Hartley said the streamlined committee system was the very clear preference of local people and businesses. Sixty three percent of the leaflets returned to the council had been in support of that option.

Under the system chosen, authorities can have a maximum of five policy-making committees.

Rossendale councillors have decided on three: a corporate policy committee, environment committee and housing and health committee, each with a maximum of 12 members. Two regulatory committees for development control and licensing are also planned with a maximum of 12 and seven members respectively.

There will also be a standards committee but no decision has yet been made on a personnel committee.

There will be one overview and scrutiny committee of 12 members who, if dissatisfied with a decision, can refer it to the full council of all councillors.

If the proposals are accepted by the government it is intended to implement the new scheme on a trial basis from December 1 with full implementation from the council's annual meeting on May 24, 2002.