A bid to scrap the role of leader and deputy leader at a town council to pave the way for a “high performing” authority was rejected by councillors last week.

However, Beaconsfield town councillors agreed to carry out a major review of the way the council is run – known as a governance review – ahead of the launch of the new super authority in 2020.

Town and parish councils are preparing to have more services passed down to them once all district councils are scrapped and the new council is created.

Cllr Patrick Hogan said an “overhaul” of Beaconsfield Town Council (BTC) is needed so it is “in shape and ready” for the unitary authority.

He slammed the current “lacklustre and mediocre” organisation of the council, stating weak leadership has led to “complacency and poor practice”.

He criticised the change in leadership structure in 2011 – which saw a leader and deputy leader appointed to tackle “performance issues” at the council.

Cllr Hogan said the change was merely a “sticking plaster solution” for “administrative convenience” as the leader had very limited powers to advise the council.

He went on to call for the roles to be scrapped in favour of a “standard model” which would see the elected chairman regarded as head of the council.

Another resolution to obtain ‘general power of competence’ was also put forward – which will give the council virtually the same powers to carry out change as private organisations.

The law was introduced in 2014 and has allowed councils to expand services that otherwise would have been restricted by legislation.

Cllr Hogan said: “As we have an emerging new executive team in place with more people and training prospects. The need for a councillor to dictate daily business is negated.

“There are challenges coming in local government, with a new unitary council due to be in place in May 2020. We can overhaul BTC to be in shape and ready.

“As a new staff team beds in and governance is reviewed this sticking plaster leadership can be phased out.

“All councillors please support these resolutions to remove the used sticking plaster and support a high performing council, not a lacklustre mediocre one.”

However, deputy leader of the council, Cllr Philip Bastiman objected to Cllr Hogan’s claims – stating the current leadership structure “has worked very well” for the last seven years and will continue to do so.

Councillors voted down calls to scrap the leaders, however approved resolutions to carry out a governance review and work towards obtaining general power of competence.