New opportunities to question your councillors

THAME Town Council has been listening to residents who have been saying that they miss the regular Saturday surgeries where they could talk to councillors about things concerning them.

The council stopped the monthly surgeries back in 2013, mainly because some councillors complained that they would have to sit in the town hall, sometimes for two hours, without anyone coming in to see them, and that most of the questions were about matters dealt with by either the district or the county council.

Whether it’s because of the Neighbourhood Plan and lots of other changes happening in the town or not, it seems that residents now want more opportunities to talk to their councillors – something Cllr Mary Stiles, who suggested the change back, found was a subject brought up on the doorsteps during the local election campaign.

Councillors have therefore decided to trial monthly surgeries for six months from Saturday, September 5, and see what the take-up is. Residents who can’t make Saturday mornings, will still be able to email the town hall at info@thametowncouncil.gov.uk and make an appointment to speak to a councillor at other times, as they have been able to do since the Saturday surgeries were stopped. So, it’s a case of ‘use it or lose it’.

ASK QUESTIONS AT COUNCIL MEETINGS

Also, following a vote at Tuesday’s Council meeting to change the rules, members of the public can now put questions to the Council on any issue at a council meeting, even if it is not on the agenda, a long as the council is notified by 4pm on the day before the meeting what the question will be. Again, this can be done by emailing info@thametowncouncil.gov.uk.