Councillors on the Corporate Policy Committee, have been promised a full update on the plan to transform Cheshire East Council (and to achieve up to £91 million savings over the next four years), after not receiving regular progress reports.
Cheshire East Council only managed to balance the 2025/26 budget with the help of £17.6 million exceptional financial support (EFS) from the government.
The Transformation Plan is a principal requirement of receiving EFS from Government where CEC must demonstrate essential improvements, a sustainable fiscal plan over the short, medium and longer term, including the repayment of the EFS.
Since the Plan was signed off last year, councillors highlighted that they have received sparce and inadequate updates. Officers accepted this criticism at Wednesday’s meeting of the corporate policy committee at Macclesfield Town Hall.
Chief executive Rob Polkinghorne told councillors:
“We will bring comprehensive updates to committee at least quarterly.” “And at October’s meeting of corporate policy committee, we will include detail on the progress with delivery, including financial and non-financial benefits for quarter one of 2025/26 and direction of travel for quarter two.”
He said no savings were expected from the transformation plan in the year it was developed – 2024/25.
“But savings for future years were included in the MTFS (medium term financial strategy) based on the opportunities identified within the plan.” He said these would be covered at the October meeting.
Cllr Liz Wardlaw (Odd Rode, Con) and Cllr Ken Edwards (Bollington, Lab), both spoke as visiting members,
They raised these concerns, including the fact that the Government has recently issued a “Best Value Notice, highlighting their concerns with the Council’s financial stability, external criticisms related to the pace of change and leadership, together with the need to understand what impact the transformation plans will have on staff and services to residents.
Cllr Chris O’Leary (Sutton, Con) said:
“Before the last council meeting, I had concluded the continued lack of transparency around the programme was such that I could no longer support it.”
He welcomed the report, but continued:
“Going forward, we need very clear information on the whole lifetime costs and savings of the transformation programme, on how other economic benefits, particularly those to residents and local businesses, are generated and how we’re going to put a value to those…
“The program is going to fundamentally change the nature of the relationship between residents and this council, and this is going to involve significant changes in policy. So we need clarity around when those decisions are being brought to members.”
Council Leader Cllr Mannion (Macclesfield, Lab) and Deputy Leader Cllr Michael Gorman (Wilmslow, Ind) acknowledged the significant difficulties facing the Council that Labour and Independents have run since 2019, and the importance of delivering the transformation plan effectively, sustainably and at pace.
The committee unanimously approved the recommendations, which included noting that service committees will be the decision makers for relevant transformation business cases that propose a significant change in council policy and inform the budget setting process.
The corporate policy committee will provide oversight and decision-making for the overall transformation plan, budget and MTFS.
Sources:
Belinda Ryan. Newsquest 08.08.2025
https://moderngov.cheshireeast.gov.uk/ecminutes/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=959&MId=10976&Ver=4
