A government consultation document on local democracy and community leadership is too narrow in its scope, it is claimed.

Anthony Wright, secretary of the home-rule campaign group Aire-Worth Reform Associ-ation, says the basic fundamental changes needed in the Bradford council district are not covered. Mr Wright bel-ieves the whole local government structure needs reviewing if interest is to be increased and participation in the democratic process widened.

He and the reform association believe the way forward is to establish smaller local authorities where people, feeling they count, might be prepared to get involved.

They want Keighley to be freed from Bradford council control, but the council and the Government have said that cannot happen.

The consultation paper is the first of four to be issued by the government with the aim of modernising local government.

The areas on which public comment was required were:

updating electoral arrangements

involving the community

modernising the way councils work

councils leading their communities.

Bradford council holds local elections on Thursday, May 2. The Keighley News will publish a full preview on Friday, May 1.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.