Purpose of Area Forums

We established Area Forums so we can listen and respond to communities across the Township.

Area Forums are an ideal way to get together with people from the council, community groups and other agencies in your area to think about activities and how we deliver council services in your area as well as looking for improvements.

Work together

Area Forums give you the chance to get to know what each council service does.  We will listen to suggestions and promote opportunities for residents to work together with council services and so work with them better.

Inform

Area Forums invite your local ward councillors, senior council officers and other authorities such as the Police to explain the decisions they take about your area by asking them to regularly report to Area Forums with updates.

Communicate

Area Forums increase the knowledge and understanding of residents in your area by sharing and discussing views and ideas with them and those who offer services, as well as on occasions sharing good practice with other areas.

Influence

Area Forums let you affect decisions made about your area.  In an 'open forum' you can raise issues of concern on the night.  Township officers record and action these and provide outcomes at future meetings.  We report minutes back to Township Committee meetings and consider them in the development of local plans.

Area Forums are an ideal way of making you aware of what is happening in your area.

How do the meetings work and who runs them?

The Rochdale Township office oversees the running of your Area Forum. The residents who attend the Area Forum choose the Chairperson.  They are usually a member of your community.

Local councillors as well as Rochdale Council officers attend each meeting and see that the recommendations made are properly fed back into the Township's decision-making process.

Area Forums give you the opportunity to speak to a council officer about any council service that needs attention.

If we cannot answer you in full during the meeting then we will provide you with an answer following the meeting.  We report any outcomes to residents via the Area Forum.