ARGUMENTS flared at a Rossendale Council meeting when Labour member Graham Pearson highlighted what he termed loss of key personnel at the town hall.

The council leader, Tory John Holt, hit back, denying there was a staffing crisis at the authority but conceding that there were problems which needed to be addressed.

He said that because of the size of the council and in particular the unfair SSA (standard spending assessment) awards, in some cases it could not compete on salaries.

He told the council: "We do have a problem as far as the safety structure is concerned. We are looking at it and it will form part of the re-organisation of the council."

Coun Pearson had called for a fundamental review of staffing and retention of staff to be undertaken by the chief executive.

He said both sides of the council agreed they had difficulties and were losing key personnel in environmental health.

Coun Pearson said they had lost a recently-appointed safety officer and had still not been able to fill other posts from last October. They were also losing the market superintendent.

They had problems recruiting joiners, and staff were leaving Stubbylee (the planning office), though they had been lucky in appointing someone to carry out the district plan review.

Coun Pearson went on: "We have to interview newly-qualified graduates and after 12 months they are likely to leave." He said agency staff cost the council the equivalent of five days pay for three days work.

He called for a fundamental review of the recruitment problems which put pressure on remaining staff, who felt they were not fully appreciated for the additional work they were called on to do

Coun Holt said in his view Rossendale Council was a good authority. He asked councillors to reject the call for the chief executive to carry out a fundamental review of recruitment, saying it was something which should be undertaken through staff consultation.

Coun Holt added: "Quite clearly we are still suffering from the way staff were culled by the other side of the Chamber."

Coun Pearson's amendment was defeated by 17 votes to 11.