Allowances councillors receive from outside bodies shouldn't have to be published on Cheshire East's website, two members have said.

The comments came at a meeting of the council's corporate policy committee meeting on Thursday where councillors were discussing a review of the appointment to outside bodies.

Altogether there are more than 100 outside bodies Cheshire East councillors sit on. Most don't pay any allowances, although some of the larger ones, like Cheshire Fire Authority, do.

Councillors on Thursday were being asked to agree that a review should be undertaken and agree its terms of reference but Cllr Paul Findlow (Prestbury, Con) said he welcomed the terms of reference except that Cheshire East should be responsible for publishing allowances.

Cheshre East Councillors Cllr Findlow (left) and Cllr Mannion (right) are appointed to a combinde ten outside bodies. (Image - Cheshire East Council)

'It's not our responsibility to publish anything in relation to that third party. It's up to the third party, the organisation in question who do the paying, if they pay anything, to publish what they choose to publish. It's not up to us to publish it," said Cllr Findlow.

"It's not our right or duty to publish it."

Macclesfield councillor Nick Mannion (Lab) agreed.

"I sit on the fire and rescue authority and our allowances are published by the fire and rescue authority not by this council," said Cllr Mannion.

Cheshire East Leader and Sandbach Heath and East representative Cllr Sam Corcoran was having none of it. (Image - Cheshire East Council)

"I'm nominated to sit on it by this council and, similarly, if someone sits as a board member of a housing association and they're paid an allowance, it's for the housing association to publish that information not Cheshire East. It's not our job to do that."

But council leader Sam Corcoran (Lab) disagreed.

Cllr Corcoran told the committee: "I think there's a legitimate public interest there and I think we should make that information readily accessible to members of the public.

"We've already done that for the wholly-owned companies of Cheshire East Council, which is a slightly different case, but again, it's remuneration that is received by councillors not from this council, but from a wholly-owned company.

Craig Browne is Cheshire East's No. 2, and has been a Councullor since May 2015. (Image - Cheshire East Council)

"We now disclose that in a readily accessible way so members of the public can see the remuneration of councillors."

He added: "I will be interested to hear how the working group reports back on that issue, but I think it should be in the terms of reference."

Earlier in the meeting deputy council leader Craig Browne (Alderley Edge, Ind) said he supported the principle of a review and the idea of publishing any payments councillors received from outside bodies.

He added: "However, I also feel that the review should look at where the continuation of such remuneration is appropriate but equally, where there is currently no remuneration, whether that is appropriate also.

Cheshire East's HQ is called Westfields, and is located in Sandbach. (Image - Cheshire East Council)

"Members are asked to do additional work, take on additional roles and responsibilities that should be recognised in my opinion."

The committee agreed the constitution working group should conduct a review of the council's outside organisations appointments process and they agreed the terms of reference – including considering an appropriate method for publishing remuneration received by councillors from outside bodies.

Cllr Findlow said he was abstaining from the vote because he did not agree with that one issue regarding the council publishing the remuneration.

The Prestbury representative, who has been a councillor since 2008, sits on four outside bodies.

Cheshire East Council and their town's elected representatives are responsible for these services in Macclesfield.

They are the Alderley Park Liaison Committee, Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), Cheshire Pension Fund Committee and Cheshire Police and Crime Panel.

Nick Mannion - elected in 2015 - has six outside bodies.

They are; Combined Fire Authority of Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East, Halton and Warrington, County Councils Network, Groundwork Cheshire Warrington and Merseyside, LGA - General Assembly LGA People and Places Board, Manchester Airport Consultative Committee and the Tatton Park Board.

However, it is not clear how many of the above outer bodies that the two councillors get allowances for.

Even in the unlikely event the rules were to change, however, they could still be subject to a Freedom of Information request from the public.

Earlier in the month Cllr Mannion, who represents Macclesfield West and Ivy, had called for a general election.

Please click here to read that article.

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