Cheshire East Council is set to end its committee system and move back to a Leader and Cabinet system of decision-making from May.
The decision to change, taken at a meeting of full council in September 2025, will take effect from the council’s annual meeting on May 13th 2026.
The move follows the government’s introduction of “The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill” in July 2025, which includes plans to abolish the committee system used by a number of councils in England.
To avoid confusion part-way through the municipal year, the council has decided to move to the new arrangements at the start of the council year this May.
A Cheshire East spokesperson said: “The council’s decision is a positive and proactive measure to ensure it has effective governance processes in place that enable decisions and improvements to be made at pace.
“The move will also streamline current decision-making arrangements and give more time and emphasis to scrutiny.”
After the September decision, the council established a task and finish group of councillors to drive forward the new arrangements for decision-making.
Under the change, up to 10 cabinet members will have responsibility for policies and decision-making in relation to specific areas of council services, such as children and families, or highways and transport.
This aims to streamline decision-making and make accountability clearer to the public. Scrutiny powers for councillors will also be strengthened by the planned changes.
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