"A SLAP in the face for democracy and transparency and yet another embarrassment for a shambolic council".

Those were the words this morning after it was announced that yet more meetings of the authority have been scrapped.

On Wednesday evening (13 October) a meeting of the council's ruling Conservative cabinet had to be scrapped moments before it was due to start because of legal and administrative failures.

Today (Friday, 15 October) councillors have been told that the two full council meetings scheduled for Wednesday, 27 October will not now happen.

The double header was caused because the council couldn't organise a venue to replace the unavailable chamber in its civic offices, which has been affected by electrical problems following a flood.

The flood happened in early September and, six weeks on, the council says it still can't fix the problems.

Staff working in the area of the civic offices have been moved to another part of the building. The block is due to be demolished and replaced by council flats in a scheme exclusively reported on Thurrock Nub News last night.

Nub News understands that the agenda for the September meeting due to be held on 27 October will provisionally take place on November when it will be another double header. Effectively October's agenda will be scrapped.

Council officers have reportedly told councillors they cannot find a suitable available building in the borough to host a full council meeting - despite there being a plethora of large buildings, meeting rooms, school and business premises that could hold the meeting which is likely to involve about 75 people at most.

Today's announcement has shocked Cllr Gary Byrne, leader if the small independent group on the council who says: "This is a slap in the face for democracy and transparency and yet another embarrassment for a shambolic council.

"I don't believe it's about venue, it's about the council's IT and communications departments not having the project management skills to organise such a event.

"This is an appalling situation. Democracy needs to be seen to be happening and councillors should have the right to ask questions and be seen to be doing their job to represent the people who elect them.

"I rarely get answers to written questions or responses to emails. Telephone calls are unanswered or messages ignored.

"At the moment in Thurrock it's impossible to the job of being a councillor. There are too many obstacles being put in our way by people who do not want to held to account."

Thurrock Council's communication team has been asked to comment but so far has not done so.