Public Engagement in Local Politics

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Housing and Local Government – in the Senedd at 3:35 pm on 16 December 2020.

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Photo of Julie James Julie James Labour 3:35, 16 December 2020

Yes, and I completely agree with Suzy Davies that many people first have their first taste of politics—small 'p'—because they campaign against the closure of a local playing field or the opening of something they don't like locally, and they get a sense for how their voice can be heard coming together as a community. So, I think we share a common like, if you like, of that kind of community action, which I am very keen on facilitating, if that's the right word.

So, each local authority has to set out a public participation strategy to set out clearly how they promote awareness of the work of the council and how its decisions impact on people's lives, and they also explain how individuals can access decisions and make representations to the council, and, importantly, how they can make those views known in good time so that they impact the decision that they're concerned about. As I said in answer to a previous question, that isn't the point in time that a sign goes up on the local lamp post saying that you've got only a few days to make representations; it is about awareness, more broadly, of how you can get your voice heard. And so each local authority will be under a duty to promote that public participation scheme as widely as possible and to give access, both in person—so you can attend in person, once we're over the COVID regulations of course—but also electronic access, phone access and so on, in order to allow people to get their voice heard, and we expect them to have those strategies in place and report annually on them for the scrutiny of both their own councils and of the Senedd.