Corporate Select Committee

The Corporate Select Committee met last Tuesday evening, and as usual had a
good range of topics up for discussion.

The reports under discussion included the corporate plan, 3 year financial
plan, along with reports on Glossop Town Hall, revisions to the council
media policy and protocol's along with confidential reports on a call in of
a decision of the executive along with a report / presentation on the
Pavilion

Gardens.

During consideration of the media policy and protocol's I asked that given
the supposed importance of local / non executive 'frontline' councillor's
would it be possible when press release are issued by the council relating
to a particular ward could efforts be made to include a comment from the
ward councillor of the ward concerned. A proposal which although noted I
expect will fall on deaf ears when the issue is considered by the executive.

A further issue that I didn't recall at the meeting, but would address some
of the concerns raised around the Glossop Town Hall proposals noted below is
why can't the council circulate to all councillors press releases from the
council at the time of release, rather than as part of the weekly news
bulletin after the event thus enabling any comments from ward councillors to
be made when the story is considered rather than after event as it currently
often is. This idea would cause much extra work or cost as all local
councillors are on the council's email system.

The Glossop Town Hall report expanded a little on the details within the
press and was generally welcomed by all members present with concerns mainly
been around suitability of the venue for its future use mainly with regards
to the acoustics of the venue along with concerns the lack of notification
to local councillors about the plans by the council with the first 'news'
about the proposals been from the stories in the local press rather than via
any notification from the council.