Council composition and decision making arrangements

Cheshire East Council has 82 councillors in 52 wards. The political representation from the May 2023 election is:

The council has a mayor for civic functions.

• Councillors are elected to represent Cheshire East wards
• Councillor conduct and how to make a complaint

Council decision making

The council is changing its decision-making arrangements.

From 14 May 2026 we will have a leader and cabinet, replacing our committee system.

We are changing in May 2026 to fit with the start of the council year.

How we make decisions now – the committee system

• 7 service committees making important decisions for different service areas
• Each committee has different responsibilities
• All political groups are represented on each committee
• 86 committee seats

How we will make decisions – leader and cabinet executive

The leader (and deputy) of the council will appoint a cabinet of up to 10 councillors

• The cabinet make collective decisions
• Individual cabinet members will have decision-making powers
• Decisions will be made by 10 councillors, streamlining decision-making, rather than 86 committee positions 

There will be up to four powerful overview and scrutiny committees. Any councillor can ‘call-in’ a decision for scrutiny within 5 days of a decision being made. Called-in decisions can't be implemented until the call-in process has been followed.

Previous arrangements

We had a leader and cabinet between 2009-2021. After the local elections in 2019 there was a change of political control. The new administration felt that a committee system would involve more councillors in decision‑making, so the council adopted it from 2021.

We will return to a leader and cabinet system in May 2026.

Why are we changing the way decisions are made now?

The government is bringing in new laws – expected to take effect in late 2026 – that will require councils without a leader and cabinet model to adopt one.
To avoid confusion partway through the year, the council has decided to move to the new system at the start of the council year, immediately after the May annual general meeting.

This means:

• our schedule of meetings will stay the same for the whole year
• the annual budget process will be much simpler.

Will moving to a leader and cabinet model be good for the council?

Yes. An independent review – the Local Government Association’s Corporate Peer Challenge in March 2024 – recommended that we urgently simplify how decisions are made. The change is also a positive response to a non-statutory Best Value Notice received in May 2025, which requires the council to ensure it has effective governance processes in place that enable decisions and improvements to be made at pace. 

The government has said that decision‑making in some councils is ‘complex and opaque’ and that committee systems can be ‘unclear, duplicative and wasteful’, leading to slower decisions.

Right now, 86 committee seats across seven service committees are involved in decision-making. Under the new model, around 10 cabinet members will make those decisions.
Not everyone will agree with the change but it is very clear that this model will speed up and streamline decision‑making at Cheshire East Council.

How will a cabinet of just 10 councillors be held to account?

The law requires that a cabinet must be overseen by one or more overview and scrutiny committees.

These committees:

• must include councillors from all political parties
• may be chaired by an opposition councillor
• can question cabinet members and officers about decisions and future plans
• can carry out ‘pre‑scrutiny’ to help shape policies before decisions are made

There will also be a call‑in process. If a cabinet decision is called in, it cannot be put into action until a scrutiny committee – or possibly full council – has reviewed it. 

Will cabinet decisions be transparent?

Yes. Transparency is a key part of the new system.

Cabinet decisions will:

• be made in public meetings
• have agendas and reports published at least five working days in advance
• allow public and visiting councillor speaking
• be formally published afterwards
• be open to the call‑in process.

Individual cabinet members will also be allowed to make some decisions and these will be transparent too. A forward plan of decisions must be published at least 28 days in advance and all decisions must be based on professional officer advice, including legal and financial considerations.

How much is this change costing?

The work to prepare for the new system is being done using existing resources. We do not expect any extra costs.

Will the new system need adjustments in future?

We’ve always been clear that the arrangements will need to be reviewed and improved after they go live. Councillors have already agreed to carry out a full review in autumn 2026, once we’ve had time to see how everything is working.

Council meetings and papers

Links to meeting agendas, reports and council papers.  

• Meetings of the Council and committees
• Agendas, minutes and reports
• Scrutiny Committee
• Audio recordings of Council Committee meetings
• Cheshire East Council Constitution

Officers

• Corporate Structure - senior managers