FOLLOWING calls from MPs and residents for the Government to investigate Cheshire East Council’s activity, the Guardian takes a look back at some of the criticism the council has faced.

LYME GREEN

CEC was found to have wasted £800,000 of taxpayers’ money in 2012 by starting work on an ill-fated recycling centre before receiving planning approval.

BEWILDERWOOD

It emerged that CEC was set to pay a £5 million loan to Norfolk-based BeWILDerwood, which wanted to build an adventure playground in Tatton Park, following a Freedom of Information battle with a Knutsford resident.

The Information Commissioner ruled CEC must release the information in 2013, and plans for BeWILDerwood were eventually shelved.

TWITTER

CEC staff were banned from using former leader Cllr Michael Jones’ Twitter account after it had emerged the council’s media team had sent political tweets on his page in 2014.

CORE FIT

Cheshire Police launched an investigation after it emerged that contracts worth £156,000 had been awarded to Core Fit in Nantwich, Cllr Jones’ personal trainer.

Then-mayor, Conservative Cllr Hilda Gaddum, called on Cllr Jones to resign.

Cllr Jones stepped down as council leader in December 2015, citing ‘blue-on-blue attacks’, before being replaced by Cllr Rachel Bailey.

ALLEGED BULLYING

At a CEC meeting last week it was announced Unison Cheshire East had set up a bullying helpline for its members.

This followed calls in April by Labour members for an external investigation into bullying allegations at the council.

SUSPENSIONS

Mike Suarez, chief executive, was suspended in April over ‘conduct’ issues, before Bill Norman, head of legal services, was also suspended by the investigation and disciplinary committee.

CEC has appointed interim replacements.

SLEEP-IN SHIFTS

A report seen by the Guardian showed that 155 members of staff working ‘sleep-in shifts’ were paid less than the minimum wage in just one month.

The council is now investigating how far back this went on.

AIR QUALITY DATA

Police launched an investigation after CEC admitted that some diffusion tubes across the borough had been ‘systematically manipulated’ to give falsified air quality data readings between 2012 and 2014.

BERKELEY ACADEMY

CEC signed off a £70,000 transfer of cash to a primary school in Wistaston last month for a car park, leading to questions from councillors who felt other schools deserved the money.

Police are considering a formal investigation.

LOCAL PLAN

In September a legal challenge was submitted against CEC’s local plan by developer Muller Property.

The Plan was approved by inspector Stephen Pratt this year, after he had twice found shortcomings in 2014’s draft.

More than 30,000 homes are earmarked for the borough in the plan, which Cllr Barry Burkhill, independent leader, believes has sparked residents’ recent anger.