The first of a new kind of town meeting tackling key issues facing Bruton will take place on Tuesday 24th, and we’d like you to come.
“Town Matters” is to be more welcoming and inclusive than a traditional Council meeting, and we will be holding our first in the September monthly Town Council slot, from 7:30 pm on Tuesday, 24 September.
There will be three main Town Matters on the agenda:
- Making Bruton carbon neutral by 2030. Following Bruton Town Council’s declaration of a Climate and Ecological Emergency on 26 March, our Working Group will be presenting its first proposals for discussion and decision.
- Planning Bruton’s Future. The Town Council agreed our response to the “Preferred Options Consultation” on SSDC’s Local Plan Review (to 2036) at our August Meeting. Now we need to develop our own Neighbourhood Plan, which would set our local statutory planning policies. Come along to find our more and get involved.
- Connecting Bruton Volunteers. Our energetic town has many community organisations who are looking for volunteers. Many Brutonians want to volunteer their skills and time, but don’t know where to look. The Town Council has a sizeable but limited budget, a Community Office, and a website. How should we use these connect volunteers with organisers?
Each “Matter” will involve
- A short (maximum 10 minutes) presentation of information
- A group discussion on ‘café style’ tables mixing Councillors and fellow Brutonians
- A decision on the recommendations
Chair of the Council and town mayor Ewan Jones explains why we are introducing these meetings:
“Greater demands are being placed on Towns and Parishes to solve our own challenges. Following some community feedback, the Town Council began reviewing our way of working after the 2 May elections, to increase both our effectiveness and the whole town’s engagement with our Council.
“On 11 June, we invited representatives from Frome Town Council to facilitate a workshop, and give us the benefit of their experience. Some Councillors have also visited other innovative Town Councils. At our 30 July Council Meeting, we approved recommendations including simplifying our meetings into “Town Matters” of interest to the whole Bruton Community and “Council Matters” where the necessary administrative stuff, such as accounts, legal contracts, and staff employment will be decided.
“We intend to make “Town Matters” more welcoming and inclusive than a traditional Council meeting, and will be holding our first in September.
“Please join us for what I am sure will be an inspiring evening. As Bruton’s 2017 Town Plan says, we hope you agree that Bruton deserves a bright future, and we urge you to get involved.”
