COMMUNITY partnerships and residents’ groups could be asked for their input into a partnership body which combines the public, private and voluntary sector.

Darlington Borough Council’s health and partnerships scrutiny committee has been asked to conduct a review into the accountability of Darlington Partnership. One of the suggested proposals is to establish a community board, which would be represented by at least one councillor from every ward in the town.

Another suggestion made at yesterday’s scrutiny committee was for community partnership and residents’ groups to be given a voice. It could be done via a quarterly review meeting.

Councillor Andy Scott, who visited a number of groups in the past month, said: “I found a great deal of good work done in the community partnerships and residents’ associations, but on a community theme.

Everyone worked individually to their own strengths.

“There was nothing wrong with that and it was very good. The common denominator among them was that there was always an elected member there.”

Members of the health and partnerships scrutiny board welcomed the proposals but said the partnership should aim to be more non-political.