BLACKPOOL council is set to launch a £260,000 scheme to produce TV programmes that many residents will never be able to see, The Citizen can reveal.

Money from council budgets and European grants will go to fund the Blackpool Community TV DVD, along with sponsorship and advertising money.

Under the scheme, two DVD disks, expected to feature TV clips of council meetings, information on regeneration and a 'question time' with invited guest, will be delivered to every home in the borough next year.

The disks can only be played on special players or some computers. An executive meeting on Wednesday will hear that just 55 per cent of households locally have the equipment needed, though this is expected to grow to 75 per cent by the time the first disk is distributed next February.

The council claims the move will improve communication with the general public, but opposition Conservative councillors have slammed the DVDs as a waste of money.

The council's deputy leader, Cllr Eddie Collett, said: "The experience from all over the country, the council's external audit carried out here in Blackpool and response from the town's area forums has led us to look at better ways of 'talking' to residents.

"Articles in newspapers are fine, our own community newspaper is good but there are a lot of people who would far rather to sit and watch a DVD on their television than read something."

But Bispham Conservative Cllr Henry Mitchell said: "Personally, I think it is a waste of money.

"There is a whole generation of people -- and I include myself in this -- who know nothing about DVDs.

"Is anyone really going to sit down and put the council's DVD on the television?

"We have just had a newspaper put out by the council which is full of what the Labour party is doing in this town -- it's just political jargon."

He says the cash should be used on reducing council taxes, improving street conditions or funding the police.

Cllr Collett added: "The beauty of a DVD is that residents can look at the index and select what they want to watch.

"In any one family the adults may want information on a very different range of interests and the young people will have different programming viewpoints.

"We are confident that the interactive nature of the discs coupled with the ease of sitting down and watching it will be a hit with local residents both young and old. The DVD will highlight the breadth of council services and just how we can help local people."

The council has applied for £130,000 from the European Regional Development Fund and will allocate £45,000 from its own budgets. It has provisionally secured £85,000 from partners and private sector advertisers.

If the pilot is successful, more DVDs may be issued in future.