WHITWORTH and Edenfield have been excluded from Nynex plans to link Rossendale to the cable network.

Rossendale Council gave a mixed reaction to a presentation by Nynex and Edenfield Coun Jeff Cheetham called for a letter to be sent to the company asking if both areas could be included in the plans.

Rossendale's 65,000 residents have also been asked by councillors to keep a check on installation work - and report any problems to the company - as the council has not been able to afford an officer for the role.

Coun Anne Goldsworthy described the presentation as "very poor". She felt the company was not able to answer some of the questions and replies were "very scant".

She said: "It gives rise to great worries when this company starts work in the Valley. Having seen their work in various other places, it gives me cause for concern."

Chairman of the engineering and planning committee Coun David Quinn said he thought the presentation was quite good.

But, when the company said councillors would be kept fully informed, Coun Peter Hayler asked why workmen were digging up outside his house that day with no prior notice.

Coun Quinn also said agreement had still to be reached on the standard of reinstatements the company was going to carry out.

Councillors were united in calls for underground cables to be installed rather than masts or satellite dishes.

A spokesman for Nynex said: "We had no control over the boundaries of the cable franchises which we were awarded by the Government and can only work within them.

"We will consider applying for new unfranchised territory once our current build programme is completed.

"The interest shown by the people of an area and their elected representatives will, obviously, play a part in our decisions.,

"At this stage, we have an obligation to those people in our current franchises who want the Nynex service but we have not reached yet."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.