RESIDENTS attending council meetings in Rossendale will have to cross the East Lancs Railway track to get to a new temporary civic venue.

Councillors raised concerns about safety as bosses at the authority agreed to host council functions at Hardman's Business Centre, Rawtenstall, which is not on a dedicated bus route.

However council chiefs said talks had been held with Rossendale Transport about providing buses to the New Hall Hey Road site and added that a risk assessment would be carried out to ensure safety issues were addressed.

The pledge comes after the council admitted a scheme to hold meetings at venues throughout the borough to get more residents attending council meetings had flopped.

Rossendale Council has now named the mill site as its venue to host all meetings while a new town hall is built.

But opposition councillors have criticised the decision, saying it has been rushed and concerns have not been addressed.

Stacksteads councillor Christine Lamb said: "I have great concerns about accessibility and safety. It's a long way out of town and a lot of people do not have cars. I have doubts about the bus service. If it's not very well used are we going to say in a couple of months' time that it's not very well used and withdraw it?

"If we want the public to come to could meetings we have got to have somewhere more central. It's very, very lonely walking over a railway line to get to the site so on a safety issue it's not suitable."

Council leader Duncan Ruddick told the council meeting, said: "I know talks have taken place with the bus company which sees no problem servicing council meetings down there."

Head of resources George Graham said: "Safety and accessibility will have a risk assessment carried out and if steps are required then these will be taken as we have a duty of care to staff and the public."

The town hall in Rawtenstall closed 18 months ago ahead of demolition to make way for a multi-million pound regener-ation project.

Nothing has been decided about a replacement town hall. So until a permanent solution can be found, council bosses plan to lease the Mill Suite in the business centre for civic functions and meetings.

Earlier this month Longholme ward Conservative councillor Leonard Entwistle was kicked out of the ruling party after disputing the move and branding it a "half baked idea". He is now standing as an independent.