Lib Dems call for increase in public participation at Surrey County Council

2.49.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 17th Jun 2008

Liberal Democrats at Surrey County Council (SCC) today called for more opportunities for the pubic to get involved in local democracy, but the suggestions were opposed by the ruling Conservative administration.

Cllr Colin Taylor (Epsom & Ewell SW) proposed a motion calling on SCC to involve more Surrey residents in the decision-making process. What prompted the motion was the Council's own 2007 Community Survey published recently and presented to the Executive on 22nd April 2008, showing that only 30% of respondents believed they could influence decisions affecting their local area. More than a quarter would also like to be more involved in the decisions the Council takes.

"As councillors, we're elected to represent the interests and concerns of residents," said Colin Taylor. "Our job is to look in the horse's mouth - in other words to concentrate on areas of dissatisfaction and make changes accordingly. In the specific area of Local Democracy, this is what our motion today sought to do."

Cllr Taylor's suggestion was that overall the Council should improve the way it consults with residents, promoting the Local Committee and the work of the local councillor more effectively and providing better information for residents to contact their councillors.

"A key issue we raised when this Council was first elected, back in 2005, was a call for Surrey residents to be able to petition Full Council," said Cllr Taylor. "At the moment, the only places the public can ask direct questions or present petitions are at Executive, Select Committee or Local Committee meetings.

"Some members of the public do attend these meetings and ask questions, but not many. Would you, as a member of the public, want to take time off and travel up to Kingston just to get a prepared answer from an Executive, made up of just 10 members out of 80, all from one party - and in all probability the very people against whose decision your petition is appealing? Wouldn't you be more likely to engage if you could present your petition to the whole council?

"Our request to allow the public to petition Full Council was turned down back in 2005 and sadly, it was turned down again today," said Cllr Taylor.