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The changes to the number of council cabinet meetings has been criticised by the leader of the Plaid Cymru group.

The number of cabinet meetings at the local authority will be halved starting this month.

Caerphilly Council’s chief executive Christina Harrhy announced the moves to councillors in an email, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Cllr Lindsay Whittle accused the cabinet of becoming “part-time”.

He said: “I am staggered as a former leader for nine years who led a great team that dedicated their lives to every single day of the week to cabinet duties.

“We met every fortnight and were rushed off our feet many a time – probing officers’ work, scrutinising decisions at all levels, meeting staff regularly and bringing forward so many reports.

“The current Labour administration tells us we are in a crisis and there is no money available while people are working from home with many complaints from constituents about not getting replies to correspondence.”

In her email to councillors, which also included details of “respect training” the chief executive said the fortnightly cabinet meetings would end and be replaced by once-monthly meetings.

“The same number of items will be dealt with but more efficiently in one, slightly longer meeting,” Ms Harrhy explained.

“This will provide additional opportunities for informal policy discussions to take place with [the] cabinet and will also reduce the burden on colleagues involved in supporting meetings.”

These meetings will take place on Wednesdays in the middle of each month, and the council will hold special meetings “if an urgent matter or matters arise that falls outside of this schedule”.