A COUNCILLOR has labelled Malvern Hills District Council as "out of step" in its approach to scrutiny compared to "more enlightened" councils in Worcestershire.

Liberal Democrat Tom Wells made the claim at a meeting on Tuesday (October 20) during a debate on the effectiveness of the council's overview and scrutiny committee - a body designed to hold the council's leadership to account.

Currently the chairman and vice-chairman of the committee can be from the same party controlling the council.

Councillor Wells said this can create a conflict of interest and suggested an opposition chairman would ensure a "truly independent" scrutiny committee with "muscles".

"Frankly in the last few years we have not been doing very well at scrutiny", he added.

"I really do feel this change is something the Conservative administration should consider carefully".

Independent councillor Anthony Warburton proposed an amendment to the council's constitution banning the chairman and vice-chairman of the scrutiny committee coming from a political party with a majority - an approach that is used by Worcester City Council and Worcestershire County Council.

He said: "Our governance would be better if we did this.

"Overview and scrutiny should be apolitical and at the moment it seems otherwise."

The motion was however defeated by 18 votes to 10.

A series of other non-contentious changes to the council constitution - such as a new officer code of conduct and new protocols for planning site visits - were approved unanimously.