Caroline Laing, Constituency Manager, introduced a report setting out a proposed process for public engagement through the Constituency Committee.

At this early stage in the development of Wallasey Constituency Committee and as a starting point, there was an opportunity to bring together the efforts of the Council and Police in terms of public engagement.

The proposal was for the Constituency Committee to incorporate a public ‘Have Your Say’ meeting. In order to ensure that the Committee had adequate time to deal with its business, it was suggested that this was bolted onto the Committee and operated as an event an hour before each and every Committee meeting. It was believed that this would add value to the Committee meeting and vice versa.

Initially, this ‘Have Your Say’ meeting would be focused around the work of Merseyside Police. Where possible this would be attended by the Neighbourhood Inspector, but might from time to time be deputised by a Neighbourhood Sergeant. An update would be provided by the Police about crime and disorder in the Constituency over the previous quarter, followed by a public question and answer session.

The report gave details of how the ‘Have Your Say’ meetings could be expanded and developed in the future to include the participation of wider Council services and partners. The format of the ‘Have Your Say’ meeting would likely develop over time and might include for example, a marketplace style surgery with a range of Council services and agencies available to the public, rather than one large meeting. A verbal update from these meetings could also be provided at the beginning of each Committee. 

She also gave details of a proposal for a Public Question Time within the Constituency Committee meeting. This would allow members of the public to raise issues of concern with the Committee directly and / or seek answers to particular queries. In order to enable a comprehensive response at the meeting and to allow members of the public to participate who were unable to attend the meeting, questions would be required to be submitted in writing in advance of the meeting.

Inspector Peter Koloktroni was in attendance at the meeting and agreed that these were both good ideas for engaging with the public. Responding to comments from Members, Inspector Koloktroni stated that the ‘Have Your Say’ meetings were just one part of how the police engaged with the public and that surgeries were also held in each ward.

Members’ comments on the report included the following:

·  People were very community orientated and might not necessarily want to travel, for example, from Seacombe to Moreton, or vice versa, for a meeting.

·  The Committee should not stifle engagement by requiring that questions from the public should be submitted in advance as people should have the opportunity at the meeting to ask questions without notice and the time period for questions during the meeting should be flexible.

·  It was important to be as flexible as possible in the way the Constituency Committee operated as it evolved and try to encourage people to come along with issues important to their community.

·  Some people might be put off by the title ‘Committee’, perhaps it could be given a different name such as Community Engagement Conference.

·  It was absolutely vital to engage with the public and the Committee could look at best practice elsewhere to see how constituency committees operated in other authorities.

The Chair then took each recommendation in turn and it was –

Resolved (unanimously) – That,

(1)  The adoption of a ‘Have Your Say’ meeting prior to the start of each and every Constituency Committee be agreed.

(2)  The development of the ‘Have Your Say’ meetings to include wider Council services and partners be agreed.

(3)  The adoption of a Public Question Time but with some flexibility over both the time for questions and the need to give advance notice, be agreed.

(4)  A further report is brought back to a future Committee providing an update on the wider community engagement framework and communications strategy for the Constituency.