BY summer next year yet another system of local government is likely to be in place.

If everything goes to plan, responsibility for street cleaning, mending pot-holes and youth services across Otley, Aireborough and Horsforth could all be handled at a local level.

The current system of Community Involvement Teams (CITs) is likely to either be scrapped altogether or replaced with much smaller forums, and control placed in the hands of localised area management committees.

Leeds City Council is currently progressing plans to shake up the current system of CITs and set up ten new area management committees - billed as 'champions' of their own patch.

Run by ward councillors and council officers, the area committees, using their own budgets, will aim to make sure council resources are used to maximum effect.

Although nothing is settled, it is envisaged that at first, they will be charged with keeping streets cleaned, making sure street lamps are working and the maintenance of roads.

They could also be in charge of the youth service, community safety and anti-social behaviour, and after a couple of years, they could also find themselves with input into local government hot potato - planning matters.

Each committee will be one half of five operational 'wedges' based on the areas currently served by Primary Care Trusts - such as Leeds North West PCT.

And although nothing is certain at the moment, it is likely that the new committees will mean the end of Community Involvement Teams as we know them - just less than four years since they were brought in with much the same set of goals.

The new management committees will have their own budgets and will be able to co-opt representatives from other bodies and organisations.

They should also be able to decide for themselves what sort of local consultative forum is needed - which could mean the retention of CITs, although in a slimmed down form.

The control of the more obvious parts of everyday life - keeping streets cleaned and the repair of potholes - is something that most people would like to see done on a local level, but will it work?

And what of all the co-optees on the CITs who have spent the last three years working to improve services in their areas - how will they feel about being wound up?

Councillor Clive Fox (Con, Otley and Wharfedale), chairman of the Otley and Wharfedale CIT, believes the new system could be a marked improvement.

"There is broad cross party agreement that the move towards area management will represent a significant improvement in the way the council runs its affairs."

Coun Fox believed a problem with CITs was that they were very 'departmentalised', making it very difficult for work to be achieved.

"This is perhaps best illustrated by what I call the bridleway syndrome. If we ask for undergrowth to be cut back and litter to be dealt with on a particular path we are as often as not told it is a leisure services responsibility. Then they say 'well, actually it's not us, it's highways.' Highways in turn shake their heads and say it is street cleansing's responsibility and so it goes on."

But under the new system of area management, if a job was a council responsibility, it would get done - whatever budget it came under.

Coun Fox said area forums would remain and he was very keen that the CIT for what will become Otley and Yeadon ward - under the boundary changes - should remain in some form.

Efforts are also under way to create new parish councils for Yeadon, Rawdon and Guiseley.

"Once we get a town council for Yeadon virtually all of the new ward will be covered by town and parish councils which would be represented on the CIT."

Aireborough CIT chairman, Coun Graham Latty (Con, Aireborough) said with ward councillors and officers running the new management committees there would be far less input from lay people - unlike the CITs.

However, he hoped consultation with outside bodies would continue.

"We found in Aireborough CIT that they provided a valuable touchstone of local feeling and if I have a say in the new committees I shall make certain that they are returned as consultees," said Coun Latty.

Coun Latty is also running petitions calling for the setting up of parish councils for Rawdon, Guiseley and Yeadon - something he feels is necessary to provide a link between the city council, the area management committees and communities.

Cookridge and Horsforth CIT chairman, Coun Barry Anderson (Con, Cookridge) said he broadly welcomed plans for area management committees, but did have some concerns.

The three CITs have worked together in the past on projects such as the setting up of park wardens, and he believes there is other common ground.

"I'm all in favour of delegating powers down to people and am broadly in favour of the concept," he said.

Coun Anderson said he would like to see the new committees having an input in planning matters which he felt together with the input with town and parish councils would form a localised united planing input.

However, he did have concerns about how money would be divided and how the new system would be paid for.

Leeds councillor Richard Lewis, with responsibility for neighbourhoods and housing, said: "Area management committees will play a vital role in driving up standards and promoting regeneration across the city and, in many activities, they will exercise local environment and enhance community safety.

"Each of the five wedges will have its own area manager.

"They will be our ears and eyes on the ground, bringing people together to discuss local issues and ensuring the council can respond quickly to the problems and needs of our diverse communities."