AS PART of Bude-Stratton Town Council’s communications strategy, members of the public are being urged to attend monthly surgeries to ask questions, gain advice and speak to their local town councillors.

As discussed at Bude-Stratton’s full council meeting, last Thursday, a recent surgery only saw three members of the public attend, and councillors are now urging as many people as possible to come along to discuss issues that matter to them.

Cllr Alan Biggs, deputy mayor, said: “The surgeries do have a value. The fact that we’re making ourselves available to the public is a good thing, and if members of the public and the community aren’t making themselves available, that’s in their own right.”

Cllr Frank Partridge advised the council that better advertising would attract the community to come along to the surgeries, including the provision of a telephone number with times and dates of the meetings. He said: “I think we’ve achieved something with this, and with useful information about the surgeries, better advertising and more councillors making themselves available, it could be a real success.”

The surgeries, lasting approximately two hours, will now take place on the second Saturday of every month. The next meeting will be held on Saturday, June 11, with Cllr Julia Bryson and mayor, Cllr Lea Deely in attendance.