One Week to Have Your Say on Area Committees

Their role is to be redefined with planning outside the scope of this consultation

Hounslow Council is looking at area committee meetings and considering how they can make better use of them to communicate, consult and engage with residents more effectively.

The meetings are made up of all the ward councillors in that area, and up to 3 co-opted members of the public with local knowledge. The co-opted members can attend, but have no vote. The committees currently:

• meet in public six times a year
• monitor services delivered by the council and other agencies in the area
• provide an opportunity for local decision-making on local issues
• provide an opportunity for residents to ask questions on any local matter and comment on consultations and initiatives
• may consider petitions submitted to the council by local residents
• may have a role in allocating Section 106 monies and hearing from members of the public how this might be spent.These are monies from developers which may be used for local improvements

There are currently five area committees across the borough that cover the following areas:

• Central Hounslow
• Chiswick
• Heston and Cranford
• Isleworth and Brentford
• West Area

Each area committee has a budget for running expenses, publicity and small grants for local voluntary and community groups.

How would you like to see the meetings run, and what would encourage you to attend?

Consultation on future of area committees

The planning function, that used to be part of the area committee structure, will be reviewed separately, and is outside the scope of this consultation.

The closing date for responses is 21 June 2012.

For more information, visit www.hounslow.gov.uk/consultation  or telephone 020 8583 5555.

June 18, 2012