On Air Night Flight | Midnight - 5:00am

Council's 18 to 12 seat overture

Workload can be effectively handled by fewer members

The leader of Douglas council says he was driven to reduce the number of council members by one third - because the capital is over-governed. 

David Christian made the issue a manifesto pledge at May's local elections - and won majority support at the authority's first sitting since then, to slash membership from 18 to 12.

The council's committee system was overhauled in 2012.

Now the corporation is to shrink its elected membership, with the changes due to take effect after the next council elections in four years time.

Councillor Christian says council business can be properly handled by fewer people, when the workload is divvied-up: 

More from Isle of Man News