Cheshire East leader says council 'needs to raise its game'

Council leader Nick Mannion (Lab) and last year’s mayor Rod Fletcher (Lib Dem) were speaking during a debate on the governance of the council and the need to look at how the committee system operates, following a damning peer challenge review from the Local Government Association (LGA) earlier this year.

Cllr Fletcher, who represents Alsager, told yesterday’s (Wednesday) meeting of the full council: “Since 2009 the way this council has been run by the various administrations has been poor, to say the least.”

Cllr Rod Fletcher (Image: Cheshire East Council) He said there was a problem with silo working under both the cabinet system – which had operated under the previous Conservative administration – and the present committee system.

“As far as the committee system is concerned, the chairs should be liaising better with one another,” he said.

“All we need is better liaison between the chairs of committees so that we can then move forward as recommended by the LGA.”

The LGA corporate peer challenge was critical of many aspects of Cheshire East’s operation.

The report, which was published in July, warned the council would be facing effective bankruptcy if it didn’t change at pace.

One of the main recommendations to come from the LGA was the council needs to urgently review its decision-making framework ‘to avoid siloed working across committees’.

Cllr Nick Mannion (Image: Cheshire East Council) Cllr Mannion told yesterday’s meeting it was job of councillors to provide strategic direction to Cheshire East Council as it goes forward, ‘and, as Cllr Fletcher very pertinently pointed out, that has not been delivered in a brilliant way since Cheshire East has been created in 2009’.

The council leader added: “We have an opportunity to go forward with this process and come up with a governance system that represents everybody, is transparent, and delivers decision-making in an efficient, effective and prompt way…. and that is what the Local Government Association are telling us that we need to do.

“We need to raise our game.”

Cheshire East Council needs to make savings of approximately £100m over the next four years and at the beginning of yesterday’s meeting, the council leader had warned: “There will be pain ahead.”

“As I said back in July, we can no longer afford to do everything everywhere, for everybody all the time,” said Cllr Mannion, adding the vulnerable would be protected.

Cllr Michael Gorman (Image: Cheshire East Council) Deputy leader Michael Gorman (Ind) told the meeting: “The really good news, is that this administration has a plan, a clear and comprehensive transformation plan to secure the financial stability of Cheshire East.

“It has been submitted to government and is now being put into place at pace with the support of members and staff alike.”

The council also approved a new senior management structure.