Bristol’s new committee-run council should be more transparent and easier for the public to get involved, according to four focus groups. Some said asking questions at City Hall can currently be “intimidating”, with others suggesting that childcare could increase democratic participation.
From May next year, Bristol City Council will be run by several committees instead of a directly elected mayor, following a referendum last year. But the details of how the new committee system will work are still being thrashed out by a working group of 12 councillors.
The committee model working group faced questions on Friday, February 24, on how they are involving the public in their debates. The group also decided to do away with the current scrutiny system and replace it with a smaller panel to explore problems as they come up.
