Get involved and help to hold the council to account

Residents are being encouraged to get involved in the official questioning of council policies and services.

The overview and scrutiny committee meets in public four times a year and includes a public question time at the start of the meeting. Residents can also submit questions in advance.

The committee includes councillors from all political parties, and also has co-opted members drawn from the community or local organisations including schools. Those with expert knowledge of a particular subject can also be invited to attend.

Councillor Russell Bernstein, chair of the overview and scrutiny committee, said: “Scrutiny is an important part of the way the council works, and plays an essential role in promoting accountability in local decision-making.

“We can analyse decisions made by the Leader/Cabinet members and call them in for further discussion before they are implemented. The scrutiny process also helps to develop council policy, examine how well services are performing, and review issues which affect the borough and its residents.”

Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, leader of the council, said: “The council makes important decisions every week that affect residents across the borough, therefore it is important that these decisions are fully examined and held up to public scrutiny.

“We welcome constructive comment which will help us to improve the decisions we make and which leads to better services for the people we serve.”

The next meeting of the overview and scrutiny committee is on Tuesday 20 July at 6pm, and will streamed live here: https://councilstream.com/burycouncil

The agenda will include the publication of the Places for Everyone plan – the successor to the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework – and discussion of the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan: agenda here: https://councildecisions.bury.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=138&MId=2993&Ver=4

For more details of the role that overview and scrutiny plays, the agendas and how to submit questions, go to https://www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=10467

ENDS

Press release issued: 13 July 2021.