Bray Parish Council encouraging the public to engage with meetings

A parish council is looking at new ways to encourage members of the public to attend its full council meetings and hear discussions on key issues.

Bray Parish Council planning meetings can attract many residents, especially when there is a controversial application under discussion.

However full council meetings are rarely attended by members of the public and the parish council discussed ways to change the situation at a meeting on Monday, August 14 at Braywood Memorial Hall.

Ideas put forward included moving the meeting between the three village halls in the parish and better use of social media to promote meeting.. The parish council said there is always a slot set aside in the agenda for any member of the public who wishes to attend and ask a question.

Notices for meetings are published on the website (www.brayparishcouncil.ov.uk) and posted on all noticeboards in the parish.

In other issues affected the parish:

• Traffic continues to be major topic and the parish council has taken delivery of two new speed indicating devices and the new Speedwatch camera will be with the groups organising these sessions soon. The parish council will write to the Royal Borough re-confirming its support for a 30mph speed limit on a major section of the A308 in the parish.
• At the August 14 meeting councillors voted unanimously to provide grants to both Holyport Memorial Hall and Braywood Memorial Hall to help these key local organisations maintain their buildings and sites. The council also approved funding for projects to maintain the chapel, located in the cemetery on the A308.
• The parish council has updated and re-issued the conservation area (CA) leaflet advising all residents about what it means to live in a CA and providing links to the planning policies in the recently adopted Borough Local Plan.

To contact the parish office, or to obtain copies of the conservation leaflet, call 01628 777997 during office hours (Monday-Friday, 9.30am-12.30pm). Alternatively email clerk@brayparishcouncil.gov.uk