Council to discuss auditor’s report into Cheshire East

Cheshire East will hold a meeting of the full council today (Wednesday) to discuss the auditor’s report into the culture of the authority under the leadership of Michael Jones.

The 33-page public interest report, by the council’s then auditors Grant Thornton, was published earlier this month and states: “In our view, there was a pattern of bullying and inappropriate behaviour on the part of the former leader which, whilst denied by him, led to distortions to good governance.”

Mr Jones, who led the then Conservative-run council from 2012 until 2015, stepped down following controversy surrounding the awarding of contracts to Nantwich-based Core Fit – which was owned by his physiotherapist.

In a report, chief executive Lorraine O’Donnell says: “In the view of the external auditor, there remains a public interest in the matters described in the report being aired publicly.”

But the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands a few councillors won’t be attending – some because they weren’t council members during the period the report covers while some are questioning why money is being spent to look back at events eight years ago when it could be spent funding services during the current cost of living crisis.

Some will not be attending for other reasons.

Today’s meeting will cost council tax payers about £6,000 – and comes just three weeks before the full council is due to meet on February 22.

The LDRS asked Cheshire East why the meeting is being held to discuss just one item at such a cost to council tax payers, given its proximity to the February 22 meeting, and how much the report, by Grant Thornton, cost.

A council spokesperson said: “Schedule Seven of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 states that ‘the relevant authority must consider the report or recommendation at a meeting held before the end of the period of one month beginning with the day on which it was sent to the authority’.

“The report was sent to Cheshire East Council on January 17, 2023, therefore council must meet to discuss the report before February’s meeting of full council.”

With regard to the cost of the actual report the council also quoted from the same Act saying this states the external auditor can recover the reasonable costs of making a public interest report from the council and that the costs will be independently assessed by Public Sector Audit Appointments and published at a future date.

The meeting takes place at 4pm on Wednesday, February 1, at Macclesfield Town Hall.