Council is rapped for ‘not doing anything’
CHESHIRE East Council’s response to the coronavirus outbreak has been slammed by members - including one who warned the virus could lead to ‘five councillors less’.
Members of the council’s audit and governance committee discussed Covid-19 at Thursday’s meeting as the council recognised the outbreak as a corporate risk.
And the very fact that councillors and officers were sat around the same table discussing the coronavirus at a public meeting was just one part of the criticism.
Councillor David Marren said: “I don’t see that this council is doing anything, to be honest. You walk through - there aren’t even things like gel pods around, we are all sat around this table when the advice is to be a metre away, and here we are all one foot away from each other.
“I don’t see that this council is assessing this risk properly at all or showing me that it is doing anything.”
The committee was considering the council’s most recent risk register, which was completed in January and rated the coronavirus outbreak with a score of eight out of 16 - meaning a moderate risk.
But members insisted the risk should be rated higher and called for measures to protect councillors, who in turn could provide support to their residents.
Coun Marren. said: “What we’ve got in the UK so far, 1.3 per cent [mortality rate] of those affected, the maths would seem to say that at the end of this there will be one councillor less using my calculator.
“If you are looking at what is happening in Italy, you are looking at a mortality rate of nearly seven per cent, so that works out at five councillors less.”
Coun Rachel Bailey, the council’s former leader, added: “Risk [assessment] needs to be as up to date as possible.
“I do have to say it does not feel like this council is necessarily taking heed in the way that other councils are or indeed the Local Government Association.”
Officers moved to reassure the committee that the council is monitoring the coronavirus outbreak and following the latest advice it is given.
Members were also told the council’s democratic services had also discussed measures to avoid the virus at meetings and had taken advice from the council’s public health leadership.
Jane Burns, executive director of corporate services, said: “Our emergency planning arrangements have been stood up. We are following government advice, things are changing by the hour, we have updated our (internal) information.
“We are looking at this on a very, very regular basis.”