LEADING businessman John Calway has been elected as the new chairman of the East Lancashire Partnership.

He replaces Councillor Malcolm Doherty, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council.

The Partnership comprises more than 20 organisations from across East Lancashire including business organisations, training groups, councils, colleges and community organisations and is aimed at boosting the area.

Mr Calway is a partner in Kingfisher, the Rawtenstall-based accountants and business development company. He is also a former chairman of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce.

"I am very pleased to have been given the opportunity to help make East Lancashire a better place in which to live and work," he said. "The Partnership has made good progress over recent years. Now there are much higher levels of co-operation between the local authorities and all the other partners. It is clear partners can achieve much more by working together than by working alone."

During Coun Doherty's year in office the Partnership co-ordinated the development of East Lancashire's Future, a 20-year vision and strategy for the area. It involved consultations with more than 200 firms, organisations and community groups.

"A great deal of time and effort has gone into planning and agreeing our action plan and the challenge now is to get it working," said Mr Calway.

John Tilley, director of the Partnership, said: "John assumes the post at a critical time for the Partnership as it moves on to deliver many of the goals and aspirations for the region's future."

The Partnership has changed its rules to allow its chairman to hold office for two years from now on rather than on an annual basis.