Residents are being offered the chance to speak about issues that matter to them at regular meetings ‘on their doorstep’.

The ward solution meetings give people the chance to raise issues in their neighbourhood and be part of the solution.

People can flag up problems in an open forum and then the meeting looks at what the community, the Council and its partners can do together to tackle them.

Councillor Yusuf Jan-Virmani, the Council’s Executive Member for Neighbourhood, Housing and Customer Services, said: “This Council believes that many of the solutions to the problems facing neighbourhoods can be solved by the community with help and support from the Council and its partners.

“The Council cannot solve every problem on its own. Everyone has a responsibility to make the community better. It needs residents, councillors, council officers, other public sector officials to come up with solutions.

“The meetings are not just places to raise a list of complaints against the Council, although, of course we will always take any concerns seriously. It's more about seeing the best way issues can be resolved and who is best placed to solve them.”

To find out when the next ward solutions meeting is being held in your area, visit www.blackburn.gov.uk and click on the A-Z of services.