Council asks residents to get involved

The role of Overview and Scrutiny is to look at the services and issues that affect people in Ceredigion. The process provides the opportunity for Councillors to examine the various functions of the council, to ask questions on how decisions have been made, to consider whether service improvements can be put in place and to make recommendations to this effect.

Members of the public can suggest issues to be discussed at any of the Council’s relevant scrutiny committees, which are titled as follows: Co-ordinating, Thriving Communities, Healthier Communities, Learning Communities and Corporate Resources. The suggested issues can be related to any aspect of the Council’s work which is of any importance to them.

Coordinating Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairman 2015/2016, Councillor Mark Cole said: “Overview and Scrutiny plays a vital a role in enhancing democracy and decision making in Local Government. This function works best when local residents get involved, by suggesting ideas to be discussed by Councillors in these meetings. The public’s voice in this process would contribute to helping the Council to develop citizen centred policies and services across the county.”

These committees exist as a mechanism to hold the County Council to account, acting as a ‘critical friend’ by questioning how decisions have been made in order to provide a ‘check and balance’ to decision makers, adding legitimacy to the decision making process. Each committee is politically balanced to reflect as far as possible the political composition of the Council.

Dates of these meetings can be found on Ceredigion County Council’s website, http://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/English/Your-Council/Councillors-Committees/Overview-and-Scrutiny/Pages/default.aspx  For any further information, please contact scrutiny@ceredigion.gov.uk