A move to scrap the role of member champions at Powys County Council has been rejected by councillors.

At a meeting of the council on Thursday, 11 July councillors received a report from the Democratic Services committee who recommended that the role is scrapped.

The role was discussed by that committee back in April when the recommendation was approved on the casting vote of the chairman, Plaid Cymru group leader Cllr Elwyn Vaughan.

However, at the annual meeting of the council in May, Cllr Vaughan was unseated from the role following a vote with Cllr Graham Breeze of the Powys Independents group taking over as chairman.

Cllr Breeze explained that back in April he had been the vice-chairman of the committee and had opposed the proposal.

Cllr Breeze said: “Today I’m asking members to vote down this recommendation and refer the matter back to the Democratic Services committee for further clarification about the roles of member champions.”

Cllr Breeze believed scrapping the role would be “really damaging” for the image of the council.

He told members at the meeting: “How bad does this make the authority look, turning its back on the people who need us the most.”