COUNCIL taxpayers should be aware of the recent failure of a joint company set up just 18 months ago between Cheshire East and Cheshire West Councils.

The company, which was given the ridiculous title of CoSocius,was set up to run both councils' IT and human resources (HR) services.

When it was proposed, it was stated that the company could make a profit of £5 million over five years for the council taxpayers, from the in-house work and from outside contracts.

Sadly for us poor long suffering council taxpayers, the joint company was not able to obtain any outside contracts.

The company is now going to be wound up, with losses of over £1 million and a pension deficit of £8.5 million.

It is staggering that a company that has only been in being for 18 months can have a pension deficit of £8.5million.

There should be an inquiry by the auditors to find out where all this public money has gone.

Sadly, Cheshire East do not learn from their mistakes and are now going to set up a multi-million pound arms-length company to build and rent social housing. What could possibly go wrong?

Cllr Brian Silvester Ukip councillor Rope and Willaston Parish Council