A PROMINENT Labour councillor is proposing that an overhaul of the way Allerdale council is governed is considered.

Michael Heaslip, a member of the former Labour executive, has asked the authority to look at a possible move away from the executive model.

The present system means that decision-making powers are concentrated in the hands of eight councillors.

But Mr Heaslip, who previously held the Environment portfolio, has asked for a report to be prepared into the creation of an alternative “committee” system – though he previously voted against a similar proposal back in 2015.

Leading members of the present Independent-led council had themselves vowed to scrap the executive model and branded it “undemocratic” when Labour was running the council.

But some of those councillors who previously criticised the structure now have seats at the top table with the executive model still in place for now.

Coun Heaslip, who served as the portfolio holder for Environment, has raised a motion due to be discussed tomorrow.

It asks that the: ‘Council agrees to instruct officers to prepare a detailed report to be considered by the Council’s Constitution Review Group and a future council meeting setting out all the considerations of moving to an alternative to Executive governance by adopting the committee system, as provided for by the Localism Act 2011.

“Council notes that each committee would be appointed by council reflecting the political balance in this chamber and giving all councillors the opportunity to be involved in decisions on specific functions delegated to a committee by council, with power to make further delegations, as provided for by the relevant legislation."

The last time an overhaul of the executive system was proposed and debated was in January 2015.

It was claimed at the time that the executive system had “made local governance less democratic and less transparent”, with Allerdale residents “detached from the decision-making.”

The motion called for the adoption of a committee system with all non-operational decisions made by panels rather than individuals

But speaking at the time, the then council leader and present leader of the Labour Group, Alan Smith, said that the executive model had worked well since 2000 and there had been no appetite for change.

He also said that the executive was “open and transparent”, with all reports published one week in advance in the public domain for everyone to see with anyone welcome to attend the public meetings.

The council’s deputy leader Mark Jenkinson had previously been a critic of the executive model along with others now serving on it.

But following May’s elections, which saw Independents and Conservatives take over the council, Mr Jenkinson confirmed that the executive structure would be kept on for now “to maintain some continuity” for officers.