Have your say as new Community Forums get underway

Tameside’s new Community Forums get underway this week with residents encouraged to pop along and have their say.

Tameside Council is introducing Community Forums to provide stronger opportunities for town-level engagement between residents and the council.

The first two forums take place this week:

• Denton: Wednesday 17 June, 6.30pm- 8.30pm, at Tameside Wellness Centre, Denton.
• Droylsden and Audenshaw: Thursday 18 June, 6.30pm-8.30pm, at Guardsman Tony Downes House, Droylsden.

And they’ll be followed next week by:

• Ashton and Mossley: Monday 22 June, 6.30pm-8.30pm, at St Ann’s Social Centre, Burlington Street, Ashton.
• Stalybridge and Dukinfield: Tuesday 23 June, 6.30pm-8.30pm, at Stalybridge Victoria Market Hall.
• Hyde and Longdendale: Wednesday 24 June, 6.30pm-8.30pm, at the Newton Suite, Hyde Town Hall.

The first round of meetings will include opportunities to discuss the Pride in Place Impact Fund to support the development of funding bids for small to medium-scale projects that will revitalise town centres and public and community spaces. There will also be discussions on borough-wide developments, town-specific issues, and a question-and-answer session.

Agendas are available for each forum and can be found, alongside more details and future meeting dates, at www.tameside.gov.uk/CommunityForums

Meetings will be held in-person, three times a year, with locations rotating to ensure a presence in every town. Each forum consists of elected ward councillors, partner organisations and local people.

The initiative was developed following feedback from residents and councillors to help boost community involvement in decision making in each of the borough’s nine towns.

Tameside Council Executive Leader Cllr Eleanor Wills said: “I’m looking forward to people having the opportunity to get together and work alongside each other to improve local areas.

“Everyone is welcome to come along and have their say on the issues that matter to them in their town.”