A DECISION to postpone full council meetings for the time being has been branded “utterly outrageous” by a Teesside MP.

A Middlesbrough Council panel voted to agree the schedule of meetings for the year ahead in a virtual gathering this week.

But the calendar has only pencilled in three “full council meetings” in the next 12 months – the first of which is next February.

Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald called the decision “utterly outrageous” and “unacceptable”.

The Labour MP said: “You cannot simply suspend democracy. Far bigger meetings than Middlesbrough Council take place over the internet every day.

“There is a fundamental issue at stake here and this ridiculous and shameful decision has to be reversed immediately.”

Frustrations were shared about the diary ahead of a vote at this week’s corporate affairs and audit committee.

Cllr Teresa Higgins said it was “ridiculous” that a full council meeting hadn’t been put on the slate until 2021.

The Labour member added: “There are lots of things going on in the town and around the country that need sorting out. I personally feel as if I’ve not been part of the council since the lockdown.

“Decisions are being made by just a few people – and if we’re lucky, we’ll find out what they are on Facebook.

“It’s not fair on the residents of Middlesbrough – they need to know what’s going on. There is no reason whatsoever we can’t have a full council meeting.”

Cllr Higgins suggested a split between video links and physical attendance in Middlesbrough Town Hall to allow more people to attend.

Neighbouring Stockton Council has adopted such a model using Thornaby Pavilion.

Meanwhile, Cllr Denise Rooney believed the public were being “denied access” to any democratic processes.

The Labour member for Ayresome added: “Decisions are being made without any proper scrutiny and there is no evidence of any executive function.

“There have been no recorded executive decisions since November and all the decisions have been delegated to officers.

“I know we’re in very difficult circumstances and we had to change procedures but I now feel we’re in a position to start full council meetings.

“Delaying it even further is not the right thing to do.”

Some committees and scrutiny meetings have started meeting in the past fortnight using video technology during the lockdown.

But full council meetings – where all 46 councillors vote on certain decisions and raise questions – haven’t yet.

The report agreed stated the meeting dates in the diary were “tentative at this stage” and may change.

And council chairman Cllr John Hobson still has the power to arrange meetings even though the diary has been passed.

After wrestling with the video technology, Cllr Hobson told the committee “it was not strictly true” that there would be no council meetings until next year – and he hoped to hold meetings “as soon as possible”.

But he didn’t think the council’s IT infrastructure would be able to cope at the moment.

Cllr Hobson said: “There is a lot more work that needs to be done on whether we can actually hold a meeting with that amount of people there at the same time.

“I don’t think it will (work) – I think the broadband will go down.

“I think we need at least two practice on a full council meeting with members there to make sure we can get it right.

“I’m also not happy with the electronic system of voting – I would rather see us go back to people putting their hand up or people having their names read out.”

Chairman Cllr Jon Rathmell said he “totally supported” Cllr Hobson on his technology concerns – and believed the process would place “unnecessary and unreasonable burdens” on council officers.

The MICA (Middlesbrough Independent Councillors’ Association) leader told the panel that Cllr Hobson and the monitoring officer would have a “calculated say” on when it was best to have a meeting.

Cllr Rathmell added: “There is nothing more frustrating for members of the public to have a full council meeting where no business is transacted.

“That said, I agree with you that far too much is publicised on social media.

“It’s not Hollywood – it’s full council and if elected members are not aware of decisions being made, that needs to be addressed.”

Cllr Rathmell said it was “bad governance” if councillors were finding out what was happening at the council on Twitter and Facebook, but added business needed to carry on at other committees.

The vote on the council diary being agreed was 3-3 with Labour voting against it.

Cllr Rathmell cast the deciding vote as chairman.