Colin Taylor - Liberal Democrat Councillor

When the SCC Lib Dem group called for more opportunities for the pubic to get involved in Local Democracy recently, all their suggestions were opposed by the ruling Conservative administration – despite being based on the Council’s own survey of public opinion.

I had the job of proposing the Lib Dem motion calling on SCC to involve more Surrey residents in the decision-making process. This motion was prompted by the Council’s 2007 Community Survey published last year and presented to the Executive this April 2008, which shows that only 3 in 10 respondents believed they could influence decisions affecting their local area. More than a quarter would also like to be more involved in the decisions the Council takes.

As councillors, we’re elected to represent the interests and concerns of residents. Our job is to look in the horse’s mouth - in other words to concentrate on areas of dissatisfaction and make changes accordingly.

The Lib Dem proposals included improving the way the Council consults residents, promoting the Local Committees and the work of local councillors more effectively and providing fuller information so residents can contact all councillors.

A key issue, which we also raised when this Council was first elected, back in 2005, was a call for Surrey residents to be able to petition Full Council. At the moment, the only places the public can ask direct questions or present petitions are at Executive, Select Committee or Local Committee meetings. Some members of the public do attend these meetings and ask questions, but not many.

Would you, as a member of the public, want to take time off and travel up to Kingston just to get a prepared answer from an Executive, made up of just 10 members out of 80, all from one party - and in all probability the very people against whose decision your petition is appealing? Wouldn’t you be more likely to engage if you could present your petition to the whole council?

Our request to allow the public to petition Full Council was turned down back in 2005 and sadly, it was turned down again, along with all our other proposals.