Published: Friday, 29th September 2023
Forging better and closer relationships between the borough council and parish councils will be top of the agenda at a meeting on Tuesday 3 October.
The meeting will give the council an opportunity to hear directly from parish council representatives about the challenges they face, and how the borough council support them.
Leader of the borough council, Terry Parish, said: “I have asked for this meeting to be set up so that I can hear directly from parishes around the borough about their experiences of delivering their role.
“This will help me, my cabinet and the council’s officers to gain a deeper understanding of the issues faced and how we as an authority can work more closely with parishes to offer the right support to help them meet their responsibilities.”
The meeting will consider a range of areas where borough and parish councils work together, including parish council comments on planning applications, the development of neighbourhood plans and councillor recruitment, as well as any other subjects parishes wish to raise.
All of the borough’s 101 parishes have been invited.
Cllr Parish added: “I became a councillor because I wanted to represent local interests on planning matters. As I have been for some time now both a parish and a borough councillor, I have first-hand experience of these roles. I am interested to find out how my own experience is reflected around the borough and whether there is more the borough council can do to support parish councils to represent their communities.”