Councillors in Rishton have said they will continue to hold meetings with residents despite funding cuts.

The pledge came after Hyndburn council announced they would be scrapping area councils next year.

Rishton’s councillors have said they will continue to meet three times a year to engage with residents.

Rishton Labour councillor Ken Moss, pictured, has said that things ‘will not really change day to day’.

He said: “Day to day it’s not going to affect us that badly really, all the allocated spending will be honoured for this financial year and for anything else we will have to apply to cabinet.

“It is unfortunate that the funding has had to be withdrawn, but there is a need to spend the money on investment.

“Moving forward we have decided to still meet up and if there’s something that desperately needs doing, I cannot see the council’s cabinet turning down funding.”

The cost-saving move – which will see nine area councils across Hyndburn abolished in 2015 – was announced by Hyndburn council leader Miles Parkinson earlier this month, and met criticism from the Conservative opposition.

Coun Moss added that he did not believe the idea that the scrapping of area councils was undemocratic, as claimed by the Hyndburn Conservative group.

He said: “I do not hold with this idea that democracy is collapsing. Members of the public will not really notice.”

The next meeting is to be held at 7pm on Thursday, July 3 at Rishton Cricket Club. Coun Clare Cleary will be joined by councillors Ken Moss and Harry Grayson, with updates from Coun Parkinson.

It is hoped that MP Graham Jones will also attend to give a parliamentary update.