The prospect of elections for borough councillors in Swindon taking place just once every four years came one step closer when members voted unanimously for an exploratory report.

Currently the 57 councillors are voted for “in thirds” – three lots of 19 to serve for four years each before a fallow year completes the cycle.

Now a report into the ramifications of changing that and having all the councillors elected at the same time – with one election every four years – will be produced after a motion brought by the Conservative leader of the council was passed.

Coun David Renard said: “There are pros and cons to both systems. We’ve done it this way for many years, and in that time we’ve seen many councils move from elections in thirds to all-outs.

“All I’m asking today is for a report into the pros and cons to be brought back to this chamber and we can debate it fully and properly in October.”

Fellow Conservative Coun Toby Elliott, speaking at his last meeting before he steps down as a councillor, was fully supportive.

He said: “I’ve been involved in 22 elections in the last 10 years – that’s too many. A four-year cycle allows parties to put forward a proper manifesto and an administration can be properly judged, properly held to account against that manifesto after four years. “

The leader of the Lib Dem group, Coun Stan Pajak, was also in support and harked back to the 1980s.

He said: “I was on the county council then, and in the mid-1980s the Liberal-SDP alliance was having its moment and we was able to take control of the council.

“So with a four-year system, if something is happening in politics, it can give a party four years in power that doesn’t really reflect the true wishes of the electorate.”

While the motion was supported by Labour, because all it asks is for an exploratory report, Coun Des Moffatt was concerned.

He said: “Going out on the knocker is what keeps us in touch with the voters. I’ve been on the knocker in the last few days and they’re not impressed with any politician.

“There are lazy councillors. If they get elected for four years, they can just sit back and pocket £8,000 and turn up here three or four times a year, and do nothing else for three-and-a-half years.

“It’s going out and campaigning and bringing back complaints about hedges not being cut – that’s what keeps us in touch with people.”

Labour Coun Kevin Small suggested that both boundaries for wards be redrawn, and numbers of councillors reduced, given that many of the borough council’s responsibilities have now been passed to parish councils across town.

Coun Renard said he had no objection to that – but that would need the involvement of the Boundary Commission, and the motion only asked the council’s officers to look at the frequency of elections.

It passed unanimously, and the report will be debated and voted on later in the year.