[Robert]

The only way we will get a unitary authority is if all the other second tier authorities in Lancashire agree to become unitary authorities. This didn't happen when Lancashire were asked and so that's the reason why we didn't become one. All the councils in places like County Durham, Wiltshire and Cornwall did agree to become unitary authorities leading to the creation of super councils in these areas and in Devon plans are afoot to extend the Unitary Authorities of Torbay and Plymouth and create a super council for the rest of Devon including Exeter.

The only reason I can see for this reasoning in completely aboloshing counties is to aid in the creation of regional assemblies which will dissolve power from Westminster and be more accountable to Brussels.

I guarantee that if the rest of Lancashire had arranged to become Unitary authorities, we would be electing new councillors to a new council ahead of 2009.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Labour re-elected to the County Council again and possibly would lead to a Labour council if we were Unitary anyway. There has to be more at a local level here than Labour wanting a Unitary Authority to enable them to create fully functioning regional assemblies or the Liberals thinking they are the only way they will get elected to something with as much power as the County Council within the Burnley area.

I also think that the full facts and reasons behind this should be made public and it should be pointed out that the North East voted against a regional assembly. Plus I don't believe for one minute that a Burnley/Pendle council which will appoint members to a regional assembly for the North West will be able to make up for the nonsense we are getting from Preston. Instead of having Preston tell us how to run our schools and roads it will be Brussels via the regional assembly.

I'm not often wrong on these things, I predicted the bin collection nonsense a year before it was made public and was laughed at.

Talking about bin collections, can we stop being condescended now that everyone knows how to recycle and have fortnightly recyclable collections and weekly refuse collections now you are in charge?