A LABOUR councillor has hit out at the "lack of leadership" at Rossendale Council and has said he will not seek re-election in May because of it.

Councillor John McManus, who represents Helmshore, has written an open letter to the leader, Coun Graham Pearson, and deputy, Coun David Hancock, in which he stated he could see no point in standing again "as a rubber stamp for officer suggestions".

He said: "I was going to simply leave quietly, not seek re-election, and hope that with the help of our new chief executive and his deputy our beloved Rossendale might, belatedly, face a brighter future.

Coun McManus, former council leader and chairman of the overview and scrutiny committee, claimed he took his decision after Coun Hancock presented for rubber stamping a detailed plan for the reorganisation of next year's council agenda and refused to say who had discussed it, where and when.

He was also angered by the fact Coun Pearson did not attend such an important meeting.

He said: "Throughout this year our obsession has been with internal town hall changes rather than the improvement, development and planning of the external services we must provide our people. The latest shuffle of committees and meetings is another example of that obsession."

But leader, Coun Pearson, hit back at Coun McManus' suggestions. He said: "He has got his opinions. I think that some things he is saying are not the case but he is entitled to bring those views.

"He is clearly making a play about the overview and scrutiny committee. The Audit Commission in its reinspection saw the need for change in the way the committee was conducted.

"We felt there was a need to streamline committees and he obviously felt the decision had already been made, which it hadn't because that is why it went to the group meeting.

"Before we can get services improved in more areas we need a structure in place to enable us to do that and that is what we are aiming to do now."

Coun McManus said he was annoyed that none of the criticisms of the overview and scrutiny committee had been put to him or any other members for a response and he said the '"one serious disappointment of the year" was the council's reluctance to pursue with any enthusiasm the establishment of a a strategic partnership.

The former council leader said: "In retrospect the overview and scrutiny committee should perhaps have tackled more actively the policy of our on council but at the time there did seem to be too much blood on the floor already.

"Other partnerships around us thrive but police, the NHS, county departments and community and voluntary organisations say that everything still grinds to a halt when Rossendale is involved. Our council is being described as a 'black hole'."