Members of the partnership review panel passionately voiced their disapproval after a councillor, who was accused of bullying, put himself forward as the town council representative on the Alsager Partnership management committee.

At last Tuesday's Alsager Town Council meeting, councillors were tasked with filling the vacancies on the outside bodies list following the resignation of councillors Jo Dale and Julia Hawkins.

Cllr Derek Hough had indicated he wished to retain the position as the town council representative on the Alsager Partnership management committee.

The Liberal Democrat councillor was willing to step down from the role at the town council's annual meeting, but no other councillors were forthcoming in taking up the role.

Therefore, Cllr Hough proposed himself to represent the town council on the partnership's management committee.

He told the meeting he had spoken with the partnership and claimed in their "wisdom" they were inviting Cllr Michael Unett, chair of the town council and Cllr Phil Williams, vice-chair of the town council, along to their meetings.

Cllr Jane Hearne, who sits on the Alsager Partnership Service Level Agreement (SLA) Review Panel, "totally disagreed" with the idea of Cllr Hough being on the management committee.

Allegations of bullying from some members of Alsager Partnership's management team were previously discussed as both the partnership and town council planned to meet to reach a "compromise agreement".

The Conservative councillor said: "What we went through in the last 12 months, the behaviours that we suffered at the hands of Cllr Hough.

"The review panel worked really hard to rebuild the relationship [with the partnership] and he abused his position with the Cheshire Association of Local Councils (ChALC), and he initiated a lot of problems between the council and the partnership.

"I don't want Cllr Hough to be on the management team."

Fellow Liberal Democrat councillor Pauline Hubbard queried whether the town council had ever received any written complaints from the SLA regarding Cllr Hough.

Responding to Cllr Hubbard, Cllr Hearne said: "Were you not at the meeting where I read out the statements that was also documented in all the minutes and everybody was advised, and Cllr Buckley actually spoke up."

Cllr June Buckley, who was previously the Cheshire East Council representative on the partnership management committee before stepping down, told the meeting that she had never had "any issue" with Cllr Hough.

The Liberal Democrat ward councillor said she was speaking up about the attitude of the partnership which she had "sometimes" received and was "partly why" she stepped down from her role.

Cllr Buckley said: "I constantly stated at both council meetings and the partnership meetings that I felt it was a war of nutrition going on and I felt during the time the partnership have acted in a high handed and arrogant way, but also the scrutiny committee acted in a petty and not very decent way either.

"There were faults on both sides, so I don't want to be drawn into it. I feel the scrutiny committee was totally unnecessary."

Cllr Hearne stressed that some private and confidential issues had occurred behind closed doors regarding complaints.

Chair of the town council, Cllr Unett, reminded councillors that he did not want to see a repeat of December's heated meeting.

Cllr Sue Helliwell, chair of the review panel, said that she did not want to be in breach of the members code of conduct by releasing private and confidential information.

The Conservative councillor said: "Hand on heart, I have not breached the members code of conduct, there are councillors sitting amongst us that have and who may have breached the members code of conduct.

"Cllr Buckley came to one of our meetings and it is in the partnership minutes that she found the review panel and everyone else acted amicably.

"Those meetings have always been amicable; we have always worked hard with the partnership. We thanked them for their hard work.

"What happened sadly was that the review panel refused the partnership an amount of money in the first year and in the second year we said they wouldn't be getting any money at all."

Cllr Helliwell continued: "That's where the problem occurred because one member of the management team didn't agree, and certain members of this town council didn't agree also and brought a members item forward to get that decision overturned.

"What we need to be mindful of is we're getting new councillors on board and we're being told that the council needs to move on and draw a line under things.

"I am happy to sit here and say that I am sad again, I read out a statement in tears, Cllr Hearne was in tears. I felt so sorry for Cllr Ron Tyson.

"In one meeting, we had girls boomed at us, we had a fist thumped on the table. Jackie Weaver from ChALC has said that any man that shouts over a woman is misogynistic. I am sorry but I am not putting myself through that kind of behaviour from a male councillor again.

"If he wishes to come on board on the Alsager Partnership management team and that's his behaviour and this town council thanks him and puts him back on the management team then shame on you."

Fellow Conservative councillor Julian Goodrich also put himself forward for the position.

Cllr Hough, who withdrew from being named on the partnership management committee, said: "I am 77. I have been on the partnership since its inception at Congleton Borough Council and I did think at the annual meeting that it would have been better if Cllr Goodrich showed that determination to stand."

Cllr Goodrich's nomination was supported and he was voted into the role.