THE leader of Brentwood Borough Council has unveiled plans to dramatically cut the number of meetings in a bid to improve efficiency within the Town Hall.
One of the major changes proposed by Councillor Louise McKinlay will be a reduction in the number of council panels responsible for making decisions.
The new streamlined governance structure will be modelled on three executive committees.
The main change will be seen in the new community services committee, which will incorporate the existing environment, housing and health and retail, community and culture panels.
In addition, the performance and resources committee will replace the asset, infrastructure and localism panel.
The quasi-judicial panels – a statutory requirement – namely planning, licensing and audit, will remain.
Mrs McKinlay said the new decision-making structure would save the taxpayer money, because there would be seven fewer meetings each year.
The amount which would be saved has not yet been quantified however.
Mrs McKinlay, who represents Hutton North, added that the new system would produce faster decisions.
She said: "It will stop repetition, it's more joined up and it will lead to a better and more efficient council.
Mrs McKinlay said meetings "may not necessarily be longer" as a result of the changes.
The independent remuneration committee, that looks at councillors' allowances, is to report on how each will be remunerated following the changes.
Mrs McKinlay said: "The remuneration panel will take a look at everyone's allowance and each will reflect the responsibility and time that is needed.
"The panels will be pretty meaty but the overall cost will go down."
Reacting to the news, Liberal Democrat opposition group leader David Kendall said: "Our big concern is that the community services committee will have a lot of issues on it.
"I can see that meeting turning out to be very long and that maybe items are going to be rushed through."
Brentwood First leader William Lloyd said: "Fewer Council meetings, longer delays in getting decisions made, no costs for what these new arrangements will cost, the current changes mirror attempts to lighten a ship that is already sinking."
Labour group leader Mike Le-Surf said: "We would prefer to stay with the old committee system.
"There is a reason why there are different panels for different areas of work."
