Council calls off 'useless' meeting

Cheshire East officials hoping to trim the number of monthly council meetings in order to cuts costs could take their lead from over the border in Shropshire.

Shropshire Council cancelled a meeting of this month's full council – its principal decision-making body – because the agenda had nothing useful in it.

After browsing through November's agenda, council chairman David Lloyd decided there was no "essential business requiring urgent resolution" and promptly cancelled the meeting.

The move certainly saved the council some money as the authority's 74 councillors normally put in mileage allowance claims of more than £600 to attend.

The full council was to consider a planning development scheme to create around 750 homes in Shrewsbury which got the backing of cabinet only last month.

But Mr Lloyd said: "One must ask whether we could justify the use of public funds to convene for this one standard item on our agenda."

Cheshire East is currently considering ways to trim back the current 250 formal decision-making meetings that are held each year.

A report to councillors said the authority holds meetings frequently enough to make timely decisions but added "there should not be an assumption that the frequencies of meetings, which have applied since the authority was created, should continue to apply."

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