Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's ideas to make local government more appealing to voters have been given a mixed reception by council leaders.

American-style elected mayors with a cabinet of top councillors, the rooting out of corruption and setting up voting booths in supermarkets and railway stations are among the changes proposed by Mr Prescott.

"Beacon" councils acting as centres of excellence upon which the rest should base themselves, the end of tendering out work to local companies and annual elections are some of the other main ideas.

But the Conservative Deputy Leader of Ribble Valley Borough Council, Coun Frank Dyson, said elected mayors would be expensive and unnecessary and only do the jobs chief executives do.

He added: "The idea of annual elections would be counter-productive. How would a councillor ever gain any experience?

"The possibility of electronic voting in supermarkets may marginally increase voting."

Liberal Leader of Pendle Borough Council, Coun Alan Davies, said he would reserve comment until he had seen the proposals in full.

But he added: "From what I have heard I am concerned for the role of ordinary councillors. If they end up with the role of scrutinisers only, that will not be sufficient."

Labour Hyndburn Borough Council leader Coun George Slynn welcomed the proposals to make it easier to vote for members of the public. He said: "We need to be as flexible as possible and perhaps even introduce voting over weekends. Participation in local democracy needs to be maximised."

Coun Alan Fishwick, the Labour leader of Rossendale Borough Council, said streamlining the way local government works is overdue.

He added: "I think this is needed although there is already a lot of good practice in councils across the country. Elected mayors would probably only apply to cities and larger towns."

Burnley Council leader Coun Stuart Caddy believed the proposals would be "brilliant" for local democracy adding: "We'll have to sit down and look at this more closely but as soon as I read the first page of the White Paper I thought it was good news."

Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Malcolm Doherty said his council had involved the public a great deal in its successful bid for unitary status. He added: "There are certainly very interesting times ahead. Doing nothing is not an option and we certainly plan to get on and see how these proposals can be implemented."

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