OPPOSITION counci-llors claim they have been frozen out of the key decisions affecting Burnley.

The Labour Group has hit out at the joint Liberal Democrat and Conservative alliance for being undem-ocratic following the decision to install its councillors as chairmen of key committees.

Labour wanted to re-elect its councillors Frank Cant and David Halsall as chairmen of the local economy scrutiny, and development control committees respectively.

The local economy scrutiny committee has a say on some key financial decisions affecting the council before they are passed by the ruling executive. The development control committee decides planning applications.

Both are made up of cross-party representatives, and the chairman has the casting vote in case of a tie.

Now Labour fears it will have less power to affect decisions after Tories David Heginbotham and Jonathan Gilbert were appointed to head up the two committees.

Tory leader, Coun Peter Doyle, is also executive member for resources.

Labour has accused the Tories of having too much influence on the authority because they only have six councillors serving two of the borough's 15 wards.

Group leader, Coun Andy Tatchell, said: "With the alliance of the Tory and Lib Dems they are scrutinising the governing alliance from within their own party. For a party that is confined into two wards they have got a thread of power running right throughout the council which is undemocratic."

The Lib Dems continued their coalition with the Tories for a second year following this month's elections, which left no party in overall control. It means the combined group has enough members to outvote the rest of the council.

Labour has the chairs of four other committees which have a say on council issues.

These are the leadership and community scrutiny committee; the better services scrutiny committee; the audit committee; and the environment and housing scrutiny committee.

At Blackburn with Darwen Council, where Labour has just lost power, the party has been handed the chairmanship of two powerful scrutiny comm-ittees, children's services, and regeneration.

Lib Dem and Burnley Council leader, Coun Gordon Birtwistle, accused Labour of sour grapes.

He said: "The people of this town realise we are doing a good job. The reason they are upset is because they are losing face at the moment."

Coun Doyle added: "They are not in control because the people of this town did not want them to be in control. It is what is called democracy."