How Should Your Council Talk to You?

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Cllr Theo Dennison would like to improve communications

Heard something about plans to dig up your high street but don’t know where to find out more or how to have your say? Want to offer your skills to a school but don’t know how to get involved? Would you meet with a local councillor at a ‘surgery session’ to talk about a local issue?

Hounslow Council Cabinet Member for Finance and Citizen Engagement Cllr Theo Dennison has issued an open invitation to everyone who lives and works in the borough asking them to let him know how the council can better keep people informed and make it easier for people to have a genuine say in what the council does.

Cllr Dennison said: “We rely on residents, local organisations and businesses to tell us how they feel about local issues so that we can make informed decisions which make a positive difference.

“I want to ensure that people get the information they want; when they want it, how they want it.  I want people to be able to tell us easily what they think about issues that affect them and to trust us that we’re listening to their views and taking them into consideration when we make important decisions.”

Cllr Dennison’s Citizen Engagement Consultation will run in two parts. The first stage is a ‘call for ideas’ starting now. 

Thinking how the council can better inform, listen and respond, the role and responsibilities of councillors, and the future of Area Forums; suggestions as to how the council can better define and make improvements in these areas should be sent to Luke Kirton in the council’s Community Partnerships Unit.  Luke’s can be contacted at luke.kirton@hounslow.gov.uk or on 020 8583 2129. 

The deadline for suggestions is midday on Monday 1 September 2014.

Cllr Dennison is available to talk and meet with people about their ideas, he can be contacted on 07950 468 361 or via theo.dennison@hounslow.gov.uk.

The second stage of the consultation will begin in September, when the council will seek views on suggestions with a view of decisions being made in January 2015. 

August 6, 2014