The investigation into who signed an official letter in the name of Cheshire East's leader and deputy which appeared to support the Adlington new town proposal should be concluded this month.

The letter, which was sent to New Towns Task Force chair Sir Michael Lyons in June of last year, bore the electronic signatures of council leader Nick Mannion (Macclesfield, Lab) and deputy Michael Gorman (Wilmslow, Ind) and appeared to show the council's support for plans for a new 20,000-home town at Adlington – when the council is strongly opposed to it.

It led to calls for the two to resign and a vote of no confidence in their leadership, which they survived.

But it has since emerged that Cllr Gorman had not even been in the country when his signature was put to the letter – and that he had not agreed to it.

Both leaders have objected to the new town proposal and Cllr Mannion told the LDRS in March: "Both myself and the deputy leader want to get to the bottom of the circumstances around how the letter was sent out with that wording."

At Thursday's (April 30) meeting of the corporate policy committee, Cllr Jos Saunders (Poynton, Con) said: "It was stated that there would be an investigation into the issues surrounding the letter purportedly signed by the leader and deputy to the new towns force, stating this council's support for Adlington new town.

"So, in terms of openness and transparency, can residents hear the progress of this investigation?"

Interim monitoring officer Kevin O'Keefe replied: "Professor Rod Thomson, who is the former interim director of public health for the authority, has been commissioned to investigate the issue related to the signing of the Adlington letter.

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"I understand that the current timescale suggests that his report will be with us before the end of May."

Although Adlington is not on the shortlist of seven sites the government has since put forward for possible new towns, many councillors feel the letter was directly responsible for it being included in the initial 12, especially as it was referred to by Sir Michael during a select committee hearing earlier this year.

And as the council discussed its response to the new towns consultation on Thursday, Cllr Liz Wardlaw (Odd Rode, Con) said: "We know that that (letter) was an error, but it needs to be realised that that is what's brought us to this point."

READ MORE: Cheshire East to rewrite 'incoherent' response to new towns' consultation after scathing attack from councillors

Cllr Gorman told the meeting: "I do want to emphasise that both the leader and I have never been in favour of a new town in Adlington, ever."

Cheshire East Council confirmed to the LDRS last month that council officers in economic development drafted the letter and the matter of who authorised and approved it was being reviewed.