To receive a presentation from the Cabinet Member for Parish and Community Engagement regarding her portfolio.
Minutes:
The Committee received and NOTED a presentation from the Cabinet Member for Parish and Community Engagement.
The following was highlighted in the presentation:
· This was a new role created as a direct consequence of the State of the District debate, which took place on 20 March 2024. The role was announced by Cabinet on 4 June 2024.
· This administration was committed to listening and building closer positive relationships with all of their stakeholders.
· The role acknowledged the importance of the relationship between the District Council working together with the Towns and Parishes.
· The role did not in any way seek to replace the important link between Ward Members and the Towns and Parishes.
· A key aim was to identify common issues across the district and through working together, seek to resolve or understand what could be achieved. To do that the Cabinet Member had started visiting the Town and Parish Councils or their representatives, that work continued.
· In the first six months of the role the updated Town and Parish Charter had been adopted by the Cabinet on 9 July 2024, prior to that the Council had consulted with the Devon Association of Local Councils. The Annual Meeting of the Town and Parish Clerks had been held on 20 November 2024.
· Work was underway to meet the rest of the Town and Parish Clerks or their representatives.
· The Cabinet Member would continue to assist with pointing Towns and Parishes in the right direction to things like funding opportunities and any other information they may require to assist them (in addition to any planning training the Council may have already provided).
· The Cabinet Member explained that she was there to:
- Listen
- Help break down barriers
- To build bridges.
Discussion took place with regard to:
· Resources available to Towns and Parishes included advice on Emergency Plans and the support that was available to develop such plans. Community Land Trusts and how they could assist parishes.
· The State of the District Debate had generated a lot of good will and improved relationships with Towns and Parishes.
· Individual District Councillors encouraged good relationships with the Towns and Parishes in their wards and when they asked for it received good support from officers.
· The Cabinet Member would welcome Ward events.
· Success in the post and how it could be measured? The Cabinet Member hoped that in 18 months’ time, satisfaction levels would have increased and Towns and Parishes would feel that they could easily contact people at the District Council. She also hoped that Town and Parish clerks would find it easier to get through to the officers that they needed to contact.
· Common concerns from the Towns and Parishes focused on enforcement and s106 matters.
· How could the District Council publicise the good work that was being done at the Council. Could it get good news into the Tiverton Gazette and other local papers? Perhaps the Council was too modest in letting the public know of their achievements.
· The Cabinet Member wrote a monthly newsletter for her Parish Council detailing what had been happening at the Council and suggested that other District Councillors could do the same if they were not doing so already.
· Could the Cabinet Member let Ward Councillors know when she was visiting Towns or Parishes in their Ward? The Cabinet Member commented that she did not go anywhere without being invited.