A CALL to cut the number of councillors in Wirral is set to resurface next week.

The leader of the Conservative group is proposing that the present 66 should be reduced to 44.

Councillor Jeff Green says the Boundary Commission should conduct an inquiry into whether the borough needs to be represented by so many - especially at a time when public services are being slashed to the bone.

Wednesday's meeting will be the fifth attempt to discuss the issue after FOUR previous cancellations.

The idea to reduce numbers would certainly save a significant amount of taxpayer cash - at a time when public services are being cut the bone due to austerity measures.

Each Wirral councillor receives an allowance of £8,712 per year, as well as expenses and other payments for extra responsibilities.

Cabinet members pocket an extra £9,170 on top of the basic allowance while the council leader gets an additional £22,000.

The total paid in allowances and expenses to Wirral’s 66 last year was £754,783.

Losing a third could save in the region of £250,000 a year.

Under a town hall procedure known as a notice of motion, presented earlier this year, Cllr Green said: "Instead of presenting the public with petty, vindictive, rehashed and previously rejected budget options, the leader of the council should be consulting over reducing the number of councillors.

“But in the absence of the leader's willingness to act, this council requests the Boundary Commission for England to commence an inquiry into the number of councillors in Wirral...to reduce the number to 44.

“Council therefore instructs the chief executive to invite the commission to meet with representatives of all parties and agree a timetable for the inquiry.”

In February of 2013, a Liberal Democrat bid to cut councillor numbers was defeated when Labour and Conservative groups united to throw out the plan.

But council chief Cllr Phil Davies has since said the “cost of democracy” on the peninsula needed to be reviewed and questioned whether the borough can afford to continue being represented by 66 members.

He told the Globe last year: “At a time when we are asking residents to pay more for services, and at the same time cutting those services, I think we need to look at our own offices.

“We need to have the debate again, we need to hear what residents and others think about reducing our numbers."

The cancellation of four previous meetings exasperated Conservative councillor Leah Fraser, who is the offical "seconder" of the notice of motion.

In June she said: “Quite frankly, this lot couldn’t organise a party in a pub.   

"If local businesses and traders ran their organisations in this way they’d be bankrupt before they even had a meeting."

The proposal will be discussed when the policy and performance review committee meets next Wednesday evening.