A New Look For Area Committees

Hounslow Council say residents will be able to get more involved

Residents will be able to get more involved in local issues that are important to them after changes to the Area Committee format were agreed at the meeting of Hounslow’s Borough Council on Tuesday night.

The changes are the start of a process to put local decision-making more firmly in the hands of the community, with greater engagement and consultation opportunities on what matters most to residents.  These changes are being driven in part by the new powers given to communities under the Localism Act and other national legislation.

Cllr Sachin Gupta, Hounslow’s cabinet member for communications and communities, said:

“Local democracy is all about allowing local people to influence or make local decisions, and the change to the new Area Forum format will do exactly that.

“This new approach will give residents the chance to get more actively involved in service and policy development that could affect their neighbourhoods, as well as engaging with other partner organisations across the borough such as the Police, health services, business and the voluntary sector.

“We want our communities to play an active role in what happens in their area, and the intention is to make sure the meetings provide even more of a platform for involvement and participation than they used to.

“Consultation has just closed on how the individual meetings will be structured, and we will use that feedback to make sure they reflect the priorities of local people.”

The council has five area committees: Central Hounslow, Chiswick, Heston and Cranford, Isleworth and Brentford, and West, which meet monthly to discuss local issues.

June 22, 2012