Two councillors have told MPs how a town's experience could set an example across the country.

Keighley town councillor Brian Hudson, the town's mayor, and Councillor Kris Hopkins, leader of Bradford Council, enlightened the All Party Group on community governance in Westminster.

As representatives of the National Association of Local Councils, they were pressing the case for more devolution to "parish" councils, like Keighley Town Council, from larger authorities such as Bradford. Some of the proposals have been put forward in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill, which in currently going through Parliament.

Coun Hudson said: "We felt the meeting was very fruitful. We want to see more power to be held by smaller councils, like Keighley. We in Keighley already look after allotments.

"We could oversee park and landscapes and there is a chance of clustering' in which we would share responsibility for certain functions with other councils, such as street cleaning."

He said it was an extremely exciting time to have visited Westminster because of the historic events involving Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. "There was a lot of activity and cabinet ministers were rushing about. It was a memorable experience."

The all-party groups are independent Parliamentary bodies designed to debate a variety of specific public issues.