A councillor has claimed that holding all of Cornwall Council’s meetings during the daytime has led to the authority being less diverse than it should be.

The council’s constitution and governance committee today discussed whether the times of meetings should change.

At present nearly all council meetings start at 10am but one councillor said that this was making it almost impossible for people to take on the role as a councillor whilst also holding down a full time job.

Liskeard Central councillor Nick Craker (Conservative) was unable to attend the committee meeting but submitted a statement to fellow councillors to give his views.

He said that the council’s current arrangements were “a blanket policy that is not appropriate”.

Cllr Craker said that he was 25 years old when he was first elected onto Cornwall Council and found it hard to juggle the role with his paid employment.

“Working a full-time job while being a councillor is difficult but it is a job I love and that is why I was re-elected.”

However the councillor said that the council’s policy of holding meetings during the day had led to who stands for election.

He said: “Why is it mostly male, mostly retired and mostly completely white? That is not representative of the people of Cornwall.”

Cllr Craker said that people with full time jobs would have to take a day off to attend meetings. He said that the recent ability to attend meetings online due to covid had made it easier.

Whilst accepting that not everyone works nine-to-five Cllr Craker said that it was difficult for those in full-time employment to be a councillor and said that he was fortunate that his employer is “very generous” in allowing him to be flexible so that he can fulfil his role as an elected member.

He said: “This simple approach to all committees starting at 10am is not fair. Cornwall should look at what other councils are doing.

“I hope that this council changes, in my view it needs to to have a more diverse authority.”

Some councillors sympathised with Cllr Craker’s comments and it was suggested that those committees which have short meetings could be held in the evening from 7pm to 9pm, but there were concerns that later meetings could make it difficult for people to attend.

However John Keeling said: “I do have some sympathy with people working full time and trying to do this job, but they knew that when they were successfully selected to this role.”

Mebyon Kernow leader Dick Cole said that he had given up his full time job in order to dedicate his time to being a councillor.

He said that the recent reduction in councillors from 123 to 87 had given councillors even greater areas to represent and said that with some councillors having seven or eight parish councils in their areas it would be difficult to attend all those meetings held in the evening if Cornwall Council meetings moved to evenings as well.

Cllr Cole said: “I lack a bit of sympathy for comments from councillors who were trying to reduce the number of councillors now complaining about the workload as there are less of us.”

He added: “I gave up my job to do this role and try and balance it with 10 hours a week with a charity job – I am struggling, I am really struggling to keep in top of it.”

Loveday Jenkin said that daytime meetings gave more opportunities for people with young families to be councillors and said it was important for that to remain the case.

She added: “I agree with Councillor Cole that having a full time job and being a Cornwall councillor does not work.”

A report to the committee stated that many other similar unitary councils also hold their meetings during the daytime.

The committee also heard that any changes to meeting times could also have implications for council staff.

Committee member Paul Wills suggested that having meetings during the day made it easier for members of the public to attend and give their views to councillors.

He proposed that the existing arrangements should remain in place and the committee agreed to keep them as they are.