DECISION making in Rossendale is set to be revolutionised in a bid to make the council more efficient.

Rossendale Borough Council is to rubber stamp proposals to pilot executive decision-making, bringing it in line with neighbouring authorities Burnley and Pendle.

Current policy committees will be scrapped under the new procedures.

The plans will come into force on April 1, with an eight-member executive committee, made up of equal numbers from Labour and Conservative councillors, being appointed at Rossendale's council meeting on March 31.

The existing committee structure means that policies and plans are determined by members of different committees, resulting in conflicting decisions.

David Hancock, leader of the council, and councillor Neil Smith, leader of the Tory opposition, will each nominate four members to be on the executive to meet once a month.

Councillors throughout the chambers have welcomed the changes and have taken part in workshops to help them adapt to the changes.

Councillor Nick Pilling, chair of development regeneration and environment committee, said the move would help make the council more efficient.

He added: "We are hopeful that this move is the way forward for decision making in Rossendale.

"It will help bring greater transparency in the council's decisions making process by the requirement to publish a forward plan.

"Members, council partners and the public will be able to see four months in advance what key decisions the council and executive is due to take."

Meetings of the executive will be open to the public and minutes of the meeting will be sent to other councillors to enable them to scrutinise decisions of the executive. Mark Weston, director of corporate support, will be presenting a report to full council next week outlining the risks involved with the changes. The first executive meeting will be held on April 21.