Following May’s elections, Burnham & Highbridge Town Council has this week decided to make changes to the way it operates.
At Monday night’s Town Council meeting, Cllr Sharon Perry proposed that the venue for meetings should be changed.
Rather than meeting only in the Town Council’s offices at Jaycroft Road in Burnham, it was decided unanimously that half of the meetings will in future be held in Highbridge.
Whilst supporting the proposal, longest serving Councillor, Peter Clayton, pointed out that Jaycroft Road is half way between Berrow Triangle and Brue Farm and that such a scheme had been tried in the 1990s and failed owing to the lack of a suitable venue.
Cllr Roger Keen recalled also the previous attempt to alternate between Burnham and Highbridge, explaining that any venue needed to be fully accessible and with a hearing loop.
Councillors agreed to the change to be implemented at an undetermined future date and without considering any costings.
Meanwhile, Cllr Perry proposed also that “Drop Ins” should be organised for members of the public to meet with Councillors prior to the alternating Town Council meetings.
These events will be staffed by volunteer Councillors on a rota, on a six month trial. The time, dates and venues are also to be confirmed.
Whilst this initiative was supported unanimously, Cllr Clayton cautioned that the “drop ins” might not have the benefit of the published meeting agenda.
However, Mayor Cllr Lesley Millard confirmed her intention to issue meeting agendas earlier than since the departure of a number of Town Council staff. This will be an early task for the new Town Clerk, Katherine Noble, who is due to take up her post this month.
Guest contributor: Alex Turco
