Saddleworth Parish Council told to spread meetings across the area

SADDLEWORTH Parish Council has been told it should take its meetings around the area as it seeks to boost public engagement.

The authority is looking at ways of reforming after setting up a ‘task and finish’ group to examine its current structure and meeting schedule.

Now Oldham borough councillor Helen Bishop has said she believes spreading sessions across the parish, rather than just at the Civic Hall in Uppermill, may increase action.

The Saddleworth South Liberal Democrat representative proposes that about half the Parish Council meetings take place in village halls around Saddleworth, with additional time given over to engagement with the residents to make sure their voices get heard.

And she said: “I want to make sure that the Parish Council is doing what people want.

“Often people don’t realise how much it does deliver, or think it is responsible for things that the borough does.

“I want to see Parish Council meetings be a forum for people to come forward with their issues – so that we can work on exactly what people want.

“And if it’s something that is someone else’s responsibility, we’ll help the public to get their views heard there too.”

Councillor Bishop has proposed the changes to the task and finish group as it weighs up the way forward.

And she added: “I can’t think of anything more effective than hearing first hand from people what they want us to work on, and then getting on and doing it.

“The community should always come first – that’s always been one of our core values, and we’re going to deliver on that.”