THE Town Hall tables are turning as councillors prepare to give Prestonians the chance to have their say in a ground-breaking citizens' panel.

Council bosses want 500 people to sit on the committee, which will discuss issues such as the standard of services provided by the authority, in an attempt to get locals more actively involved in politics.

Consultancy firm Priority Search has been drafted in to create the panel, which will be a cross section of the town's population in terms of age, sex, family type, ethnicity, employment status and lifestyle.

Each year one third of the group will be replaced with new members so that different opinions can be sought.

Launching the scheme, council leader Peter Rankin said: "We already hold elections once a year to get people involved.

"But this scheme will allow us to involve the public much more and enable us to find out what they think about how things are run.

"We are committed to finding better ways for people in Preston to be actively involved in the decision-making process. This is a genuine method of consultation and provides an opportunity for people to tell us about their problems, needs and priorities, as well as their views and ideas."

Conservative leader Ken Hudson said: "There will be no political bias here and we want a cross-section of the community, not just those with political motives."

Lib Dem boss Bill Chadwick described the new scheme as one of the biggest steps forward since the suffragettes. He added: "The ballot box has its limits and we are now putting the machinery to involve the people in governing this town which will, hopefully, soon become a city.

"Every member of the community has the chance to be involved."

Anyone interested should contact the council's community development section, at Premier House, Preston PR1 3BQ.

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