Town Council mulls afternoon meetings
Monthly meetings for the various committees and the monthly full council meeting are held on Wednesday evenings from 6.30pm, but with the workload increasing and more committees being created, there is a proposal to move some to working hours.
The issue was raised at the latest Strategy, Policy and Development Committee with Chair, Cllr Phil Pritchard, saying that staff well-being needed to be taken into consideration. But, previously, it has been argued that doing so would discourage working people from running for council.
“It is a subject that needs debate amongst all councillors,” said Cllr Pritchard. “The question is having meetings in the evening and how it impacts on our staff.
“We haven’t got an overflow of staff anyway. I have a concern that we have a temporary town clerk who is driving all the way to Bridgnorth after meetings here at 10 o’clock at night, for example. That is not looking after our staff as far as I am concerned.
“We now have a new Health and Safety Committee as well. So, in my opinion, at least two or three of our committees can be held in the afternoons on a normal weekday and that saves any of our staff having to travel in the evening. There’s a big debate in there.”
The issue will be up first for discussion at the committee’s February meeting, with their decision to then be considered at a Full Council meeting.
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