What Council services do you want to be examined?
Residents have been given the chance to say what St Albans City and District Council services they would like to see examined.
A meeting of the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee is to be held on Wednesday 15 September.
Members want to hear beforehand from the public about what services they would like to see looked at in-depth in the year ahead.
The Committee surveys of all the activities that the Council is involved in and can decide to look at particular issues.
Topics that residents could raise include its priority projects such as tackling climate change and creating more social housing.
Others issues that may be suggested include its equality and diversity strategy, car parking enforcement, potential charter market and pedestrianisation changes or the management of its parks and leisure centres.
The Committee’s role is to check that the Council is providing the best possible services by reviewing performance, decisions and policies. It can also recommend changes that could be made to ensure improvements.
Members can look at issues that are not the local authority’s direct responsibility but can impact on the District such as public transport and impacts from Luton airport.
The Committee can invite Lead Councillors with special responsibilities and Council officers for questioning. It can also ask for representatives from other organisations to present to meetings.
It cannot make decisions but can make recommendations to other Council Committees for changes or on how policies should be developed.
To suggest a topic for review, residents, businesses or other organisations should email scrutiny@stalbans.gov.uk by noon on Friday 10 September.
Councillor Annie Brewster, Chair of the Oversight and Scrutiny Committee, said:
This Committee will play a vital role in making sure our services are performing as well as they possibly can for the benefit of residents.
We want to make sure we are scrutinising the areas that residents are most concerned about, so we do need their feedback.
I urge anyone who wants a particular topic to go under the microscope to take advantage of this opportunity to raise the issue with the Committee as it prepares its work schedule for the year ahead.
Councillors are very keen to hear from them and I hope there will be a good and interesting response.
Councillor contact: Cllr Annie Brewster, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee: 01438 832255, cllr.a.brewster@stalbans.gov.uk.
Media contact: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727-296130, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.