Cheshire East needs to seek government advice on how quickly it can switch to a cabinet system because of the urgent need to speed up decision-making, the Conservatives said.

Knutsford councillor Tony Dean (Con) even asked at Wednesday's (July 16) meeting of the full council, if it was possible to decide within 24 hours if there were any emergency powers which could be introduced to speed up decision-making, describing the pace of change currently as 'snail-like'.

The comments came after an independent assurance panel set up to advise the council on its improvement and transformation said, in a letter last month, it has been slow to respond to some of its problems.

Cllr Liz Wardlaw (Odd Rode, Con) told Wednesday's meeting: "There is an unnecessary complexity to every decision taken at Cheshire East.

"We have a system of governance that delivers neither democracy nor transparency.

"There has been no internal scrutiny, no oversight, leading to silo-working, duplication and omission.

"We are shackled to a model that was never fit for purpose, and the sooner we can shake it off, the better."

She added: "It is now or never for this leadership to step up and prove the author of this report wrong when she says this council is overwhelmed by the challenges it faces."

Cllr Chris O'Leary (Sutton, Con) said: "We are still none the wiser about how much this [transformation] program will cost in total, and these concerns are now being raised directly with us by the assurance panel in this letter."

Conservative group leader Stewart Gardiner said he was 'taken aback' by the tone and comments in the letter.

"I know about the hard work that's being done by our officers and by the leader and deputy.

"However, we are clearly not moving fast enough in the eyes of those that are looking at us – our assurance panel colleagues and by MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government)," he said.

"It is clear that whatever the benefits of introducing the committee system have been, in the current circumstances it is not an appropriate way moving forward."

He suggested the council sought legal advice from MHCLG about moving quickly to a more executive form of governance.

Cllr Rob Vernon (Macclesfield, Lab) said: "This letter is based on a visit from five months ago, and we do need to move at pace.

"But the administration of this council has turned the culture around, and the committee system is going to change."

He added: "I have every faith that the leader and deputy leader of this council are taking us now in the right direction."

Council leader Nick Mannion (Lab) said the total cost of the transformation programme would be discussed at next month's meeting of the corporate policy committee.

Regarding questions about the council's leadership, he said: "If you don't think we – myself or Cllr Gorman – are fit for the job then change us, remove us.

"But we have given, and we will continue to give it, 100 per cent for the best of this council."