THE Change Cheshire East campaign by the Independent Group has generated a lot of interest from people dissatisfied with the way the borough council is run.

It has also resulted in a press release being issued by Cheshire East Council which is not strictly correct.

Cllr Findlow, stated that a motion was tabled at full council (submitted by Cllr James Nicholas and seconded by myself) in February requesting a working group be set up.

The motion was ‘To convene a cross-party working group, at the start of the next municipal year, to consider the implementation of alternative forms of governance, with the recommendations being presented to this council’.

This motion was referred to the Constitution Committee, where the motion was rejected out of hand.

As I said at this meeting, it is not asking for a radical change now – simply that we look at the possibility (and the pros and cons) of change.

I therefore contend that there has been no proper debate as to whether we should change from the cabinet system to a committee system.

Any implication otherwise is not correct.

One last point, we are not asking for something that is entirely out of the question here.

We are, in fact, requesting consideration of something which is part of Conservative policy – under the Localism Act of 2011, David Cameron gave councils the option to change to a committee system.

Other councils have taken up this option, why can’t Cheshire East Council at least give it proper consideration?

Cllr Bernice Walmsley Cheshire East Ward Member for Middlewich