TOWN hall chiefs have vowed to cut back on presenting "long, boring" committee reports.

It is part of a shake-up in the way Bolton Council is run.

From next month, only items which need a decision will be presented to councillors at committees.

Other issues will be included in 'information bulletins' which will be made available to the press and public.

Management and finance councillors have given their go ahead to a package of measures which is aimed at making the running of the council more efficient.

They will now go before the full council on Wednesday for final approval.

The re-structuring proposals will reduce the number of council committees and working parties.

They have also included a new method of paying councillors' allowances.

They will now all receive a basic allowance of £4,800 a year - there will be no attendance allowance, but senior councillors will receive special responsibility payments.

Cllr Bob Howarth, Bolton Council leader, said: "The aim is to make better use of councillors' time."

Mr Bernard Knight, council chief executive, said: "What we are trying to do is to change the culture of meetings.

"It does not help members at all when reports are long and boring."

But Cllr Guy Harkin, deputy council leader, said: "What is one person's long and boring report is another person's detailed strategic document. It all depends what you want."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.