Public Participation
The public are welcome to attend any council meetings to listen to what is being discussed.
There may be elements of the meetings in which the press and public are excluded and would be asked to leave the room.
Members of the public wishing to speak need to notify the Town Clerk in advance of the meeting in which they wish to speak at.
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Public Questions:
i) Members of the public who wish to ask a question at a meeting shall give notice to the Clerk of the question it is intended to ask no later than 12 noon on the working day before the meeting. The question stated in the notice given to the Clerk shall be the question asked at the meeting.
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ii) The Chairman will call upon those wishing to speak in turn, each questioner being allowed to speak for a maximum of three minutes. Those wishing to speak shall state their name and address.
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iii) Answers to questions may take the form of:
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a direct oral response, or
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when the desired information is contained in a publication, a reference to that publication, or
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when it is more convenient to do so a written answer after the meeting.
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The Council does not have to give an answer to questions and can defer to another committee or Full Council for consideration if deemed appropriate.
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iv) Every question shall be put and answered without discussion.
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v) Questions shall not be permitted that relate to the individual affairs of either the questioner or any other named person, but should only relate to matters of policy or practice, i.e. matters of a general nature rather than individual concern.
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vi) The Chairman shall not allow any question that is in their opinion:
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Defamatory, frivolous or offensive.
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Requires the disclosure of exempt or confidential information.
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Relates to complaints about individual Members or Officers
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Should members of the public wish to make an official complaint about individual members (Councillors or it's Officers), it should follow the Council's official complaints procedure.
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