Agenda item

To receive and consider the report of the Communications & Community Engagement Officer.

The Committee received and considered the report of the Communications & Communities Engagements Officer (C&CEO) regarding the council’s website, written communications and social media.

The C&CEO outlined the visual differences in the old & new website inviting Members to provide comments. She explained that town council staff would  continue to work to improve the website and that the decision to carry this work out in house, rather than outsourcing it allowed for greater flexibility and a potential saving of £12,000. All Members were pleased to see the progress of the work and the considerable monetary saving.

Members were pleased to hear of the response from young residents to the survey following the communications sent to schools by Officers. The C&CEO would work to include this feedback within the Youth Forum and Youth Council.

The Committee discussed the positive and negative effects of disabling comments on the Town Councils Facebook posts. It was strongly felt that it was important not to stifle residents’ views but understood the importance to not allow offensive comments. Members agreed that the Council had official channels, including the option for residents to visit the Town Hall, have face to face communications, and correspond by telephone and email should they have any issues to report.

All Members were in agreement to delegate to the Officers to decide if comments would be disabled on a post by post basis and for them to report back to the Committee at a future meeting.

Recommended:

1.      That, the report be noted and,

2.      That, the disablement of comments on Facebook posts be delegated to Officers and,

3.      That, the C&CEO provides an update on the disablement of comments to the meeting of the committee on 23 September 2024.