Public Open Forum - When Will The Penny Drop?

Over Parish Council will not allow a public open forum for residents to raise issues of concern to them, unlike every other Parish Council I have contacted/checked, and the advice from their own professional advisers. Why not? The Parish Clerk writes:

‘We have once again contacted CPALC regarding clarification of this procedure. CPALC confirm that Public Participation is a requirement for Parish Council meetings, but as set out in their previous communication, it relates only to items on the agenda of the meeting. Allowing the public to address the Council on matters not appearing on the agenda is not required and certainly not recommended’.

But according to the website of CPALC [Cambridge & Peterborough Association of Local Councils]:

A: Residents have the right to attend all Parish Council meetings. You do not have the right to speak during the formal Parish Council meeting but it is best practice for a period to be set aside for public question time (normally referred to as the Public or Open Forum) before the start of the meeting when the public should be allowed to ask questions or make statements on any issue affecting the community. Individual Councils may have rules that specify the business that you may raise and how long you may speak. The Chairman controls this session which will not be minuted but the Clerk should record notes of the issues raised.

Parish Councils should be open, transparent and approachable. So why will Over Parish Council not extend the courtesy of a public open forum, bringing them in line with other Parish Councils and as recommended by CPALC?

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