Scrutiny meetings on hold for election
Backbench committees at Telford and Wrekin Council have been put on hold until after the general election to “avoid getting them involved in politics”, a senior member has said.
Scrutiny management board chairman Derek White said the delay, which had been agreed with council leader Shaun Davies, was a “bad start” but it would give members and officers more time to gather evidence and decide their priorities.
The council has five scrutiny committees, which suggest changes to the policies put forward by the administration and hold other bodies to account, and a sixth it shares with neighbouring Shropshire Council to examine health provision.
Councillor White said the three important areas were mental health, housing and the environment.
“Those seem to be our top priorities,” he said.
“We aren’t here to bring the council into disrepute, but we are here to make the best of what we’ve got.”
Derek White said the scrutiny process was supposed to be apolitical, and he praised the non-elected co-opted members who took part in its discussions.
“Scrutiny is an open process, and it’s about being representative and getting people with abilities and qualities from outside the council in,” he said.
“We’re putting as many of the committees as possible on hold during the election time.
“What we don’t want to do is get scrutiny involved in politics.
“It will also give us a much better view of what our priorities should be and what targets we should be hitting.
“It looks like January will be the real kick-off.
“We’ve had a bad start, but it’s given us time to get all the information in so we will be able to go.”
He also said the scrutiny team was short-staffed.
“I hope that will be looked at when they do the budget,” he said.
“We will say ‘You have cut just a bit too far’.”
There are no future scrutiny committees currently scheduled at Telford and Wrekin Council, but the board agreed a draft work programme.
Other non-scrutiny meetings, including a planning committee on November 20 and a December 4 cabinet meeting, have also been cancelled ahead of election on Thursday, December 12.
