Opposition parties protested as plans to restructure the way Hertsmere borough councillors scrutinise the authority's decisions were passed.

Hertsmere Borough Council last week voted in favour of a proposal to adopt a new two-committee scrutiny structure despite concerns raised by Labour councillors.

The change comes after a meeting in November last year identified weaknesses in the current system.

Under the proposal, the current resources and environment scrutiny committees will be merged into one operation review scrutiny committee.

The overview and performance committee will become the policy review committee and will focus on policy and the existing and new budget.

Councillor Ann Harrison said at the meeting: "The Labour group will not be able to support this and vote for it because of the chairing arrangements. We feel that it has been the case in this council since scrutiny was set up that the chair has been given to the minority group and this is not happening on this."

Cllr Rosemary Gilligan added: "Currently when the majority has such a huge majority, it is possible for a scrutiny function to just pay lip service to the ideas of the executive so I think we need further work on chairing it."

Cllr Paul Hodgson-Jones said: "My view is that we need a chairman and two vice-chairmen who reflect the composition of the council. The chairman is an important role and one of those three posts should go to an opposition, but by not putting it in prescriptively we allow the council to create a balance."