CHESHIRE West and Chester Council’s cabinet has approved more than 100 recommendations from the borough’s pandemic scrutiny committee.

The committee, which was established at the onset of the pandemic, has drafted 107 recommendations for the Labour-run council to adopt.

They range from data reporting in care homes, to working with MPs to agree on a list of economic priorities for the council that can be advocated at a national level.

Presenting the report to cabinet yesterday (December 2) was committee chair Cllr Martin Barker: “The pandemic was the biggest challenge this council has faced. Every aspect of the council our communities have been affected.

“72 hours of testimony [was heard by the committee]. It was clear that the borough rose to the challenge. I hope that the cabinet and health partners accept the recommendations and inform the four substantive scrutiny committees, who will be kept up to date.”

As part of the acceptance of the recommendations, council leadership commissioned a report updating the authority on the progress of the implementation of the recommendations, which will be delivered in January.

The passage of the report was also backed by Conservative members, with Winsford Over and Verdin representative Cllr Mike Baynham saying: “I would like to thank officers who helped us through the hours and hours of scrutiny.

“Scrutiny… will be providing leadership as a critical friend to the council, and [help] learn from what we have just done.”

The full list of recommendations can be read here.