West Lancashire BC is the latest council to plump for a return of the committee system.
Opposition councillors joined forces to out-vote the Labour leadership and force through a decision which will see the authority scrap the Cabinet system in 2024.
The council is under no overall control but Labour currently fills all the Cabinet posts. The party had reportedly wanted more time to consider all options and claimed the change could cost between £50,000 and £100,000.
Cllr Adrian Owens from the Our West Lancashire group said the committee system would give every councillor an equal say on decisions, whereas the Cabinet system means just eight members can ‘allocate millions of pounds without other councillors having a vote’.
‘West Lancashire is following the many councils that have re-introduced this system of decision making in recent years,’ he added.
A spokesperson for the council said: ‘Council voted to move to a committee system with effect from the annual council meeting in May 2024. There will be a consultation with key partners in due course to ensure the effective implementation of this change.’
This article was originally published by The MJ (£).
