Cllr Mike Barker calls on Leader of the Council to introduce Area Committees

9.34.42pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 18th May 2007

At the Full Council Meeting on Friday, May 18th, as part of the debate on changes to the Constitution of the Council, Mike Barker followed up a statement by John Williams, the Leader of the Council, who said that the whole Constitution was under review as part of a re-structuring to make the Council more responsive and democratic. Mike asked Cllr Williams to consider the introduction of Area Committees as part of this process.

Area Committees would consist of the Councillors from a number of wards, arranged geographically, which would have delegated powers to decide planning matters. They would have a budget to spend on environmental improvements in their area, and would have responsibility for many local functions. They would also have a scrutiny function, when Council was considering policy which affected their area.

In other Councils, Area Committees provide the opportunity for local councillors to have a decision-making role in their local community. They also encourage the involvement of local people in that process. They can lead to bottom-up, rather than top-down, decision making.