Uttlesford District Council is consulting over proposed changes to its Area Panels.

Currently there are three Area Panels serving the north, east and south west of the district.

The changes would see those panels replaced with two Area Forums, one for the north and one for the south.

The Area Forums would be consultative bodies meeting three times a year and their role would be expanded from the current arrangement to involve other groups such as the police, PCT, Essex County Council highways department and the fire and rescue service. The Forums would make recommendations which would be fed back to the relevant council committee to inform decisions the council may take involving the areas covered by the Forums or the district in general.

Uttlesford District Council has already written to all parish councils in the district to ask for comments and it would also like to hear from members of the public. The matter will be debated at the Annual Council meeting on Tuesday, May 13 and responses need to be received before that date.

A report on the proposal was presented to last Tuesday’s Full Council meeting (April 22). The report can be found on Uttlesford District Council’s Committee Management System. To access the Committee Management System, click on the “Your Council” link on the top bar of the homepage, then “Committee Meetings and Agendas”.

Once on the Committee Management System, the “Committees” link brings up an alphabetical list of all the council’s committees. Click on “Full Council”, select the meeting of April 22 and the report is Item 10.

Alternatively, click here for direct access to the document.

To comment on the proposals, please write to: Michael Perry, Assistant Chief Executive, Uttlesford District Council, London Road, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB11 4ER, or email mperry@uttlesford.gov.uk

For further information, please email Mr Perry or call 01799 510416.

Ends

Notes to editors

The North Area Forum would incorporate the following wards: Ashdon, the Chesterfords, Clavering, Littlebury, Newport, Thaxted, all Saffron Walden wards, the Sampfords, Wendens Lofts, Wimbish and Debden

The South Area Forum would incorporate the following wards: Barnston and High Easter, Birchanger, Broadoak and the Hallingburys, the Eastons, Elsenham, Felsted, both Great Dunmow wards, Hatfield Heath, the Rodings, both Stansted wards, Stebbing, Stort Valley and Takeley

District councillors would only be members of the Forum representing their ward.