Council needs to revise its culture

Dear Sir,

I would like to comment on your recent editorial regarding potential confl icts of interests in arms' length companies

This ties in with the overall issue of the culture at the council, which that it is too political - at the expense of the public-sector ethos that should be its overriding concern.

I can understand the objectives of these companies are to provide a private sector outlook that can help the council achieve its fi nancial aims.

However, this can be at the expense of serving the public unless careful overview is taken on an ongoing basis by independent bodies.

It is the failure to acknowledge this potential issue and take steps to counter it that is the major concern around these bodies.

Cheshire East needs to revise its culture and allow more input from opposition councillors and others in order to give any confi dence that these organisations are in the public interest.

Yours faithfully,

(DR) PETER HIRST

Middlewich.