IT IS hoped a ‘meet the councillor’ event in Holsworthy will help town councillors engage with the local community and encourage more people to get involved with local issues.

The idea has been investigated by councillors Toby Johns, Nigel Keneally and Jill Tallon.

Taking the floor during the full council meeting in September, Cllr Johns told councillors: “Myself, Nigel and Jill went on a ‘Good Councillor’ course. We learnt Facebook is great but we need to get connected with the public and the majority of people in our area aren’t online and don’t have access to social media sites like Facebook.

“Our first idea was to get people to come to the memorial hall for a meet and greet.”

Town clerk Vanessa Saunders said: “The problem with that is an elderly person won’t want to air their personal business in a setting like that surrounded by lots of people.

“It is such a long way to go to Torridge. We get all sorts of people coming in to us at the offices making enquiries about a range of things like benefits, bus passes, etcetera. So I think a meet the councillor event would be a good idea.”

Cllr Richard Brown said he had previously held sessions meeting members of the public as a member of the council, but they had not been very successful.

“We would sit in the office on a Saturday morning for hours. It would get to about 12 o’clock and we would have to go to work and then all of a sudden people would turn up when it was inconvenient.”

Cllr Hutchings said things were better now that events could be publicised on social media.

Cllr Johns said: “We should also put something in the Holsworthy Post so the older contingent without Facebook will see it.”

Councillors then discussed other potential venues for a meeting. Among the suggestions was the council chambers, Stanhope Park pavilion and even a park bench. The councillors jested that a park bench might not be the best idea.

Cllr Keneally clarified: “It doesn’t have to be a park bench, it was just an idea of somewhere a bit less formal.”

He added: “I am getting fed up of people saying the town council don’t do anything. If we put ourselves out there and give people the opportunity, then if they don’t that is their fault but at least we would be making an effort to do something!”

Cllr Peter Shepherd said: “I hold a meet the councillor event everyday — in my shop that is. People always come in and ask questions about the town. I think a more relaxed setting would be a good idea.”

The clerk suggested they hold two sessions, one at midday and another in the evening to accommodate everyone.

Deputy mayor Cllr Helen Parker raised one issue: “I don’t want to give up my time if people are going to be asking questions we don’t know the answers to — how would that be helpful?”

Torridge District Cllr David Jones answered: “Isn’t that in itself helpful though, so we know what it is we need to find out?”

The councillors agreed to trial the new meeting style and will be holding an informal ‘Meet the Councillors’ sessions on Wednesday, November 6, from noon to 1pm and from 5pm to 6pm at the Town Council Offices.