How should our area be run?

How do we want our district to be run? This is something that most of us have views about, so it is important that we respond to the Community Governance Review which the council is conducting.

As you report in last week’s Gazette (‘Have Your Say on Town Councils’ September 7), “Among the options could be the setting up of town councils as well as giving parish councils more powers.”

But there are many other options. You may think that a town council for Canterbury or Whitstable would come too close to duplicating what we have now. If so, please think about the idea of parish councils for smaller urban areas, which could give us more local control over the communities in which we live.

The villages have them. Should the rest of us have them too?

There is also the very interesting proposal set out in the letter you published from Alan Thomas (Gazette August 24).

This would be to expand the role of the existing Area Member Panels. At present these consist of the elected councillors for each of the four sections of the district – Canterbury, Herne Bay, Whitstable, and the rural area.

Alan suggests extending the membership to local residents, local businesses and other stakeholders.

This would make for wider debate and discussion, and could bring in fresh ideas and new energies.

It would be a way of increasing democratic participation without adding another layer of local government.

Over the next few weeks, residents’ associations and other community groups are organising a series of public meetings to discuss how best to respond to the consultation on the Community Governance Review. Here are the details:

Monday, September 18 at 7.30 in Ashford Road Community Association Hall, Canterbury (organised by local organizations in south Canterbury, together with Thanington Without Parish Council)

Thursday , September 21 at 7.30 in St Stephen’s Church Hall, Canterbury, (organised by residents’ associations in north Canterbury)

Friday, September 22 at 7.00 pm in the Horsebridge Centre, Whitstable, (hosted by the Horsebridge with the support of local organisations)

Tuesday, October 3 at 7.30 pm in St Peter’s Methodist Church Hall, Canterbury (organised by the Canterbury Society) Richard Norman, St Michael’s Place, Canterbury