The Town Council has been considering ways in which it can engage with members of the public and encourage them to get involved in local affairs.
Councillor Manton, Chair of The Finance and General Purposes Committee has given the following update on work being undertaken by that committee:
It is crucial that the Town Council has a website that can be seen as a ‘go to’ place for information, events, activities and advice etc. Ours is currently undergoing a creative upgrade, with the intention of not only modernising it, but also making it much more user friendly. There’s more to come, but already you’ll see a big improvement: it’s fresher, livelier, more colourful and shows important news and information right from the landing page via quick access tabs under the main page picture.
Town Council Meetings are now broadcast live, you can hear events unfold in real time from the comfort of your own home thanks to investment in a new digital microphone system at the Town Hall. Links to meetings are published on the Drayton Crier Facebook page, and on the new Town Council website. These links not only allow you to listen in, but also contextualize the proceedings through links to obtain the agendas and now (a new addition to the website) their appendices relating to the subjects under discussion.
The Town Council and local police are liaising on a regular basis through a newly made, formal arrangement known as the ‘Policing Panel’ which meets on average every 6 weeks. It is attended by the chair-person of each of the Town Council Committees with the objective of getting something done about specific issues identified as problem areas in Market Drayton. Domestic violence is a hidden crime of particular concern, and a big impact has been made on drug related crime, although for operational purposes, details of actions cannot be made public. Positive outcomes have also been achieved regarding anti-social behaviour with the police staying in touch with local licensees, and schools – and every two months Town Councillors accompany police officers in a ‘town walkabout’ with the aim of identifying problem areas that need attention.
