Dundee City Council may have failed in its democratic duty by packing so many major items for discussion into one meeting, a leading councillor has claimed.
Laurie Bidwell said the “marathon session” on Monday did not allow for proper scrutiny of decisions despite council officers reinforcing an earlier pledge on better governance at the meeting.
Councillors spent almost four hours discussing a number of issues following the summer recess.
The majority of which including Dundee’s £17 million sports centre and the controversial Gaelic language plan were approved on the nod.
Just two issues the debate on the McClelland Report into the V&A overspend and the appointment of Balfour Beatty to build Dundee’s new railway station took up almost half the meeting.
Mr Bidwell believes an “over- packed agenda” may have allowed important issues to slip through the cracks rather than allowing them to receive the scrutiny they deserve.
He said: “It was an over-packed agenda. Marathon sessions are not good. I really don’t think that is good for scrutiny of reports.
“If we had more time for deliberation that might help make for better decision making.
“It was not a great example of democracy in action.”
During the meeting, councillors had to vote to keep the session going after officials pointed out regulations meant it should end by 9.30pm.
The council generally holds meetings on Monday evenings and Mr Bidwell questioned why there was so much under discussion this week, while next Monday there is no meeting at all.
He said: “Of course, it is the last Monday of the month and we don’t usually hold meetings then.
“But I don’t understand why they didn’t divide up the agendas between last Monday and next Monday.
“It certainly would have made for better scrutiny.”
A spokesman for Dundee City Council said: “The timetable of committee meetings is published more than a year in advance.”