Eyres Monsell Focus. Chris and Scott Ask: City Council Community Ward Meetings. Where are Eyres Monsell's Meetings?

Local Liberal Democrat campaigners Christopher Garner and Scott Kennedy-Lount are asking the question when will Labour Bosses on Leicester City Council let local residents have a say on local issues in Eyres Monsell? Leicester City is divided into Wards where each ward had its own Community Ward meetings. These are held regularly throughout the year. At these meetings the Ward Councillors, Police, NHS, representatives from various Council run departments such as Housing or Highways would be represented plus other Community Groups. These events give local people an opportunity to raise matters affecting the Community.

Up until 2013 these meetings were held regularly and advertised on the City Council website. However towards the end of the previous round of meetings they were poorly attended. This was because the venue, date or even time was changed. Meetings were held in the day which meant that people who were working, on the school lunch run or had hospital appointments couldn't attend. Other Wards across the city had their meetings in the evening which meant more people could attend.

The Ward meetings were then replaced by "Patch Walks" a pilot project.

The Ward Meetings were also useful as residents could find out directly who, how and where their Community Budget was being spent. According to the City Council website "Guide to Community Ward Meeting Grants - Revised April 2014, "Each ward has been allocated a yearly budget of £18k which can be used to support projects that bring benefits to that ward."

Across the City Ward meetings are being held once again; in some wards after inspecting the Council Website they never went away. For example Humberstone and Hamilton held their last meetings at time writing on September 8th, and November 24th 2015, and the first schedule for 2016 on March 1st. Fosse Ward held their last Ward meetings on the 24th September and 10th December, 2015. Aylestone had their first one in two years on September 28th 2015, and Saffron Ward had its meeting on 30th November, 2015.

The last one held for Eyres Monsell residents was on 12th June 2013 at 10.00 in the morning.

www.cabinet.leicester.gov.uk:8071/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=458&Year=0

Why should Eyres Monsell residents be treated differently in the Democratic Process to those living in the rest of the city?
Why not have both Community Ward Meetings and Patch Walks?
Why will the Labour run Council not allow people a say in the Ward Budget in an open forum accessible to all at a reasonable time?