COUNCILLORS are locked in a battle over the transfer of two area partnership leaders.

They are opposed to a Bury Council shake-up of local area partnership (LAP) co-ordinators, who help residents.

In January, Whitefield co-ordinator Rose De is due to swap positions with her Prestwich counterpart, Carran O’Grady.

At the latest Prestwich LA meeting, councillors called on Bury Council to reverse the decision and to stop future transfers.

LAP chairman Cllr Vic D’Albert said: “Rose and Carran have built up a wealth of knowledge about their respective areas over the years. Come January, they will have to start from scratch.

“There has been considerable anger at this news.”

Cllr Derek Boden, who is a representative and former chairman of Whitefield and Unsworth LAP, said: “Almost everyone I have encountered is opposed to the switch.

“We have to look at ways of addressing this — perhaps by mounting a challenge, stating the decision was not proper because councillors were not consulted?”

Bury Council deputy leader, Cllr Yvonne Creswell, said: “This change has been authorised by the LAP managers’ line manager. It is not an issue for myself or councillors.

“The changes will help the individual managers apply their skills to a new area and benefit the areas they manage.

“LAP chairmen and women have requested a meeting with the council’s assistant chief executive and we are in the process of arranging one-on-one meetings, which will let them find out more about the reasons for rotation.”