A council that rose to notoriety after a video call row between its members went viral has decided to change its name in an attempt to move on from its “toxic” past, its chair has said. In the December Handforth parish council meeting, held and recorded via Zoom, several male members rounded on the stand-in clerk, Jackie Weaver, in a dispute over procedural rules governing such meetings. The recording gained more than 6m views after being published online and made a household name of Weaver, who during the meeting was warned by the embittered then chair, Brian Tolver, that she had “no authority here” before he was booted off the call. Since the meeting, two councillors have resigned and Tolver has relinquished his chair duties, but remains a councillor, while Weaver has launched podcasts, hosted live events and on 27 November is switching on Handforth’s Christmas lights. Weaver told the Guardian changing the council’s name was a “brilliant decision” as it marked a fresh start for a body that is “free of the challenging elements that were within”. The new chair, John Smith, said the Cheshire authority had been renamed Handforth town council because they wanted to “move away from the toxic side of Handforth”. He said: “We have a new name and three new councillors and along with the other remaining councillors are committed to improving Handforth. We are also moving away from the viral, toxic Handforth parish council as portrayed on YouTube and are leaving it behind.” He said the move was also down to a feeling among councillors that Handforth residents would identify more with a secular-sounding name as opposed to one with the religious connotations of “parish”. He said: “Many residents have understandably believed that Handforth parish council is in some way attached to the church. For those of a certain age, the Vicar of Dibley comes to mind.” Weaver, who is employed not by Handforth parish council but the Cheshire Association of Local Councils, told the Guardian: “I think it is a brilliant decision of the council – it marks the start of a ‘new’ council that is free of the challenging elements that were within and able and ready to refocus on the terrific work that such local councils can do within their neighbourhoods. “Handforth most definitely has the authority to rename itself as a ‘town’ and it is certainly big enough in terms of area and responsibility to carry that name. We should, however, acknowledge that the chairman, John Smith, can now refer to himself as Mayor Smith if he so wishes.”