My Liberal Democrat colleague, Blackburn councillor Salim Lorgat, is reported as having “broken rank to attack the new 'super council' being formed across East Lancashire.

I welcome the fact that he has spoken out because it's serious and it could have long-term consequences well beyond the new committees and company that are being set up.

Already we have Elevate which was set up to oversee the government’s “housing market renewal East Lancashire pathfinder” project.

We also have a body called PLACE which is a meeting of representatives of councils in East Lancs – Blackburn, the County Council, and the five county districts of Pendle, Burnley, Hyndburn, Rossendale and the Ribble Valley.

The idea is that there’s one body in the sub-region (horrid word) as a contact point for GONW (Govern-ment Office in the North West), the North West Development Agency, and something with the naff name of “4NW” (For the North West – geddit?) otherwise known as the North West Leaders’ Board, and other quangos.

In particular all regeneration and capital type funding will be channelled through this body before being doled out to the different councils.

It all started with a government “exercise” last year called the Sub-National Review.

East Lancashire councils set up a “Multi-Area Agreement” – the latest government wheeze for “joined-up government” – agreed by the afore-mentioned PLACE.

PLACE? The P stands for “Pennine” – remember we have to call ourselves Pennine Lancashire now following the Elevate funded study by Tony Wilson and Yvette Livesey back in 2005.

PLACE will now become a formal joint committee of the councils concerned which will at least mean it meets in public and publishes its minutes.

And now we’re getting the PLDC – Pennine Lancashire Development Company – incorporating Elevate, by-passing the councils and carrying out some of the larger projects direct, accountable only to PLACE.

Both PLACE and the PLDC will be run by boards which consist of the chief executives of the councils concerned with the council leaders (just one per council) having only an overseeing and “strategic” role.

It’s thoroughly undemoc-ratic (it cuts out most elected councillors) and it’s obviously just one more step towards a Pennine Lancashire “super-council”.

So I say – well done, Councillor Lorgat.

People haven’t a clue what’s going on and they need to know.