AREA committees covering six districts of Blackburn and Darwen should be introduced as part of the pending shake-up of local government, say Liberal Democrats.

Local Liberals have unveiled their own proposals for change in response to Labour's preferred plan which involves a cabinet style of government with top-ranking councillors taking on work currently done by committees.

And at the head of the list is the formation of six area committees, similar to the system operating in Pendle and on the drawing board for Hyndburn.

The Liberals see the committees as the spearhead of their plans to bring democracy closer to local communities and increase voter turnout. The committees proposed are:

Blackburn North East, made up of Bastwell, Roe Lee, Shear Brow and Little Harwood wards.

Blackburn North West (Beardwood, Corporation Park and Wensley Fold wards).

Blackburn South East (Higher Croft, Queen's Park, Audley and Shadsworth wards).

Blackburn South West, (Pleasington, Meadowhead, Mill Hill and Ewood wards).

Darwen North (Sudell, Sunnyhurst and Earcroft wards).

Darwen South (East Rural, Marsh House, Whitehall and North Turton and Tockholes wards).

Each committees would its own budget, set its own priorities with and take care of all planning issues, traffic and transport schemes, law and order initiatives, community projects and environmental and leisure issues.

Other matters such as liaison with schools, businesses, public bodies and public services will also be dealt with locally. Chris Thayne, Chairman of the Liberal Democrats in Blackburn and Darwen said his party would also like to see opposition involvement in the cabinet which is proposed for the council - which would present a similar situation to that which sees Sinn Fein hold ministerial posts in the Northern Irish assembly.

He added: "Any reorganisation of local government must have as its underlying motivation, the involvement of the electorate.

"We must restore the democratic balance and have acknowledged that change is not merely to increase the efficiency with which national government solutions are implemented locally.

"The electorate must be more directly involved in the decision making process and the local authority must have the power and finance to make the relevant change take place.

"In Blackburn and Darwen natural groupings must be allowed to re-establish their communal voice.

"As well as party political representation there should be community representatives as tenants, business people and houseowners.

"The Liberal Democrat approach is to produce a cabinet which is representative of the electorate, not a cabal of the majority party."

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