Richmond upon Thames residents are being invited to help the Council review its public consultation process.

A new scrutiny task group has been set up to examine how consultation is undertaken and to assess how satisfied residents are with the process and where improvements might be made. The group has been created by the Council's Coordination Finance and Performance Commission and is comprised of four Councillors and one co-opted member of the public.

Its work will be completely transparent and the public are advised that meetings will be held on 3 September and 15 October.

In addition, another meeting will be arranged, specifically to provide Richmond United (an alliance of campaign groups in the borough) the opportunity to express its views.

Richmond upon Thames residents are consulted on a wide range of issues, ranging from local development, for example the creation of a new pedestrian area, to budget allocation, for example how expenditure is prioritised.

The Chair of the task group, Cllr John Coombs, said:

"Public involvement is key to the democratic process and we are therefore particularly keen to ensure that Richmond residents feel that they are properly consulted on important issues.

"This task group will provide the opportunity to hear evidence from a range of individuals and organisations, and to look in depth at any concerns, with a view to establishing the right way forward for public consultation in Richmond."

The Council consults with residents, businesses, partner agencies, and staff to inform its corporate policies and priorities. Consultation at a local level helps to establish the needs and expectations of specific groups, so that they can be incorporated into the way services are planned and delivered.

For further information on the meetings please contact Glenna McCulloch on 020 8891 7760

Sounds like a good idea on paper, especially involving a member of the public in the task group.

Whether the public's views will actually be put into motion when it comes to the crunch I suppose remains to be seen but, for those residing in Richmond, would you yourselves be interested in attending such a meeting(s) in future?