Greater Voice for Residents

Cllr Adrian Owens, Leader of the Our West Lancashire Group on West Lancashire Borough Council proposed a Motion at Wednesday’s Council meeting that the public of West Lancashire should have a greater opportunity to influence democracy by having the ability to question their councillors at the start of Council meetings.

Having heard of Cllr Owens motion, the Labour Group on the Council later submitted a similar, but less immediate proposal on the Agenda – moving that the Council establish a Task Group to look at the same issue of public involvement at meetings and report back later in the year.

Cllr Owens commented, “whilst I still would have wished my Motion to have succeeded, as it would have had a more immediate effect in opening the council chamber to the people we represent, I am pleased that the initiative I took in tabling the motion for public question time led to the alternative Motion being agreed unanimously by all councillors.”

The Our West Lancashire Group on the Council will continue to monitor this issue during the time the Task group considers the question of more involvement by residents, ensuring the Council and its decision-making becomes a much more democratic activity.