Bradford Congress might throw open its doors to the public - for the first time since it was set up six years ago.

Tory council leader Councillor Margaret Eaton wants the meetings of the "great and good" removed from the shroud of secrecy which has surrounded them.

She would, traditionally, have become chairman, as council leader, but she is now wants the role to be taken by a non-politician.

The move comes as Congress takes over responsibility for 2020 vision, a major blueprint taking the district into the Millennium.

Members include the council, Bradford Breakthrough, Bradford TEC, West Yorkshire Police, Bradford Health Authority and Bradford and Shipley Colleges.

But its biggest role followed the Manningham riots when it brought in a Commission to look into the causes of the violence. Dozens of projects have been introduced since the findings were published.

Councillor Eaton said today: "There has been criticism in the past and it has been described as the great and the good meeting behind closed. I will ask the individual partners for their response to my proposal that the meetings should be held in public. Every partner would have the right to reject it, but I hope they won't."

Labour group leader and former chairman Ian Greenwood said: "I would agree with this. But there will be some matters of confidentiality involved in the bids."

The proposal won the support of leading Labour politicians, who said they believed it was right to open the doors including Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe.

The move comes as deputy Labour group leader Councillor Barry Thorne prepares a motion calling for important meetings to be open to the press and public.