My sentiments entirely!

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I often feel frustrated at so called ‘community consultations’ that are advertised in the smallest print possible at the back of the newspaper (where I wonder if anyone actually reads?).

Not only am I generally frustrated at the size, style and location of the advertisement but in general they are advertising something that is unappealing to the majority of the population… a public meeting! Yuk.

We need to be thinking creatively about involving the community in decision making and a public meeting is certainly not that! We need to be putting ourselves in the shoes of the community we are targeting and questioning whether we would want to attend a meeting in a community hall on a Friday evening, to sit in rows and be talked at? I certainly wouldn’t.

Mr Collins of Lobethal wrote into the local paper yesterday echoing my thoughts entirely. Reflecting on a recent ‘consultation’ he had been involved with as a member of the public he wrote “That sort of activity certainly does not constitute consultation. [Consultation] requires acknowledgement and considered response by government to legitimate public concerns and/or suggestions in a forum held in a time and place that do not restrict attendance”. Nicely put Mr Collins.

And of course we must not forget that consultation is just one level of public participation. Part of me wonders whether there is any hope of collaborating with the community on decision making if we can’t get the straight forward consultation bit right?

Rant over.