One of the most unexpected parts of our new roles as Councillors is the training. Acting as an interface with Officers in the Council and helping residents brings all sorts of new challenges. We have had training on a Code of Conduct and soon we have Equality and Diversity training then of course there are the specialist committees where we represent the wider community and operate within legal frameworks.
For the Planning Committee that I am pleased to be involved in, there were three hours of training presented by a barrister and an hour is scheduled before every meeting to familiarise ourselves with the Local Plan.
One thing I have learnt already is that if you are objecting to a Planning Application, please involved your local Councillor. They can join you in presenting your objections to committee and can be realistic about the success of your position.
It always helps to know which ward you are in so I have attached a link to the Beddington North Ward which lays our responsibilities as Councillors very clearly!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qUMmDZKvlkHTTFt7ZdET_IBSpWzztZCH/view?usp=sharing
And please get involved with the consultation on Beddington Lane – National and Local Governments depend on public apathy about consultation to push through their ideas – get your idea in as well!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tWmR-a4h2nqsK60QF0uM_BK5NOSVhgpw/view?usp=sharing
Tomorrow is Carshalton Carnival and although it is outside this ward, it is a great event and I hope it gets a lot of local support. But also deserving of local support are the group who have proposals to relaunch the Charles Cryer Theatre.
They have a presentation tomorrow from 12 noon – 2.00 pm outside the theatre – they deserve our support and I will be going along to give them mine – see you there.