CHANGES to the way issues are dealt with at Blackpool Council will mean residents have a bigger say about the town's future.

Locals will soon be able to sit down for discussions with leading decision-makers under a new "area forum" scheme due to start in October.

The scheme will involve locals being elected leaders of community forums, representing their areas on the Local Strategic Partnership, a body of public and private sector representatives working together to improve all areas of Blackpool.

Deputy council leader Roy Fisher said area forums would meet quarterly at venues across Blackpool and be an opportunity for local people to meet councillors and representatives of public agencies face to face.

"Local people would be able to scrutinise the plans and actions of the council and other local agencies, such as the police, in more detail than ever before, and this would help agencies to know what people want from them," he said.

The scheme was approved last week at a meeting of the council's executive committee, which also looked at plans for a new style of political management at Blackpool Town Hall.

Under plans still to be agreed by next week's full council meeting, an executive will make budget and policy framework decisions, and councillors on three planned committees will have the power to return those decisions to the executive for review before the decision is put into action.

Such a power does not exist under the present local government system, but a new constitution is being drawn up at the Town Hall to reflect a "leader and cabinet" style management.

The committee would also be able to look at areas of council activity that are of wider local concern, returning decisions for review by full council if necessary.

The new system was the scheme most favoured out of three options put to residents in a recent consultation programme. If passed by full council it will come into effect on October 18 this year, coinciding with Local Democracy Week.