TODAY'S joint overview and scrutiny committee meeting which was arranged to scrutinise the decision of cabinet to close the county's community learning centres has been cancelled.

Cllr Jacob Williams, who organised the call-in, said: "It follows correspondence with officers in which I and other councillors have pointed out for days that the handling of my call-in submission by the head of legal and committee services - and the proposed meeting - was unconstitutional.

"I was provided a response explaining why I was wrong and that the rules had been followed. Despite this reassurance, councillors received an email stating that the meeting was going to be cancelled.

"Apologising for the short notice, councillors were told by acting head of paid service, Ian Westley, that the meeting's cancellation "has resulted from further consideration of Procedure Rules."

"Mr Westley concludes by saying 'I will ask the Head of Legal and Committee Services to reconsider this matter and make further arrangements thereafter.'"