OUTRAGED residents have united to halt a bid to change a geographical boundary -- which will move their homes from Burnley's Bank Hall ward to Daneshouse.

People living in the Colne Road area thought the proposal, which affect 88 homes, was no longer being pursued because it had not been supported by the local authority.

But they were angry to find out at a residents' action group meeting that the plan to move 188 electors to Daneshouse was still being considered by the boundary commission -- and had been discussed at a Burnley council meeting in a report marked "private and not for publication. "

Action group chairman Rhona Fairburn said: "We are outraged. It has been proposed without any consultation with the residents. We have formed an action group to try to stop it and have written letters to the Local Government Commission, MP Peter Pike and will be writing to the Secretary of State for the Environment."

The letters state: "We were previously part of the Heasandford Ward until the last boundary changes. Historically, culturally and socially we feel an affinity with them and do not have the same sense of community with the Daneshouse/ Stoneyholme Ward.

"It seems to me that the proposed change is one merely designed to consolidate and improve the electoral performance of councillors already in the Daneshouse Ward. "The detrimental effect it will have on the close-knit community targeted here has not been considered at all. It would adversely affect a range of socio-economic issues such as credit card ratings, house, car and life insurance premiums and statistics for public information."

Local Government Commission chief executive Barbara Stevenson said that the council did not have a veto on proposals.

She said: "We are currently in the middle of a periodic review. We published our draft recommendations in February of this year and as a result of that we received a number of representations. Our final recommendations will be published in September and be implemented on at the next council elections." She added the change would not have any impact on credit card ratings, nor insurance.

Bank Hall's Councillor Bob Chadwick said the report to the council should not have been private because it was in the interest of the residents of his area.

He added: "I think it is scandalous that they were not going to be told about this. The council had rejected this and it should not have been put forward and accepted by the commission. I back the residents."

Burnley Council administration officer Charles Yost defended the decision to put the item in private saying the information had been given to the council "in confidence" from the government department.