This means hard-pressed carers will have to find someone to look after their loved ones so they can attend the meeting in Sandbach – and for some that will be impossible.

As previously reported, the council’s Conservative cabinet voted unanimously at the end of June to stop respite care for the elderly and those with dementia at Hollins View and Lincoln House, in Crewe, and transfer it to the private sector at the end of this year.

Following a challenge by Labour, the decision will be reviewed by the council’s health and adult social care scrutiny committee.

But Cheshire East has now refused a request by one of its own long-serving councillors for the meeting to be broadcast live so carers and other members of the public can see the scrutiny process in action.

Cheshire East Coun Dorothy Flude said: “I sent an email requesting that, because this is such an important meeting, it should be web-streamed live for the public. I received a polite response from an officer to say it would not be web-streamed.

“As a member of Cheshire Fire Authority, I know all fire authority meetings are sound recorded for the benefit of the public. I have asked for many years if this could be set up for Cheshire East. This has not happened. Members of the public should at least be able to hear what happens in committee meetings.”

At present Cheshire East only streams its cabinet meetings live – but Friday’s meeting will be held in the same room as the cabinet meetings so the location is suitable.

The council’s refusal to record the meeting comes less than two months after the controversy surrounding the delayed publication of the recording of the June cabinet meeting.

It was nearly three weeks before that webcast appeared on the Cheshire East website - and there was no explanation for the delay, despite questions from councillors and the press.

The decision to axe respite care at the two homes has sparked an angry backlash from the public.

The council confirmed it would not be broadcasting the meeting earlier this week.

A spokesman said: "The council’s current policy is to web-stream only the council’s full cabinet meetings for which extra resources must be brought in for those meetings. There is no plan to web-stream any other council committee meeting. “

Today's scrutiny meeting is open to the public and takes place at 2pm at Westfields on Middlewich Road in Sandbach.