‘STRANGE errors’ appeared in the draft version of the Cheshire West and Chester Council constitution which would have made it harder to remove the council leader from office.
All councillors had been due to rubber-stamp changes to the constitution but the agenda item was withdrawn at the last minute.
Earlier in the day concerns had been raised about amendments including a proposal to change the percentage of votes needed to remove the leader from office at full council from a simple majority to two thirds.
There was also a requirement that members of the public, who wished to speak at a meeting, should submit details three days in advance.
Due to the confusion, an enquiry desk was set up in advance of full council at Winsford so members could ask questions of legal and democratic staff regarding any aspects of the new constitution.
But in the event, Tory councillor Gareth Anderson, a member of the cross-party constitutional working group, postponed a decision on the item after explaining the errors had been picked up by Labour councillor Ben Powell and members of the public.
He told fellow councillors: “There have been some rather strange errors inserted and these have had some unfortunate side effects and many of them make no sense whatsoever.”
He added: “At no point do we want to do anything that might even be seen to restrict access or the power of members not in the executive or members of the public to engage with or influence this authority.”
Council spokeswoman Rachel Ashley described the amendments as mistakes in the draft.
