Agenda item

8.1

Carl Mullooly, Head of Local Area Committees, provided a background on the origination of Local Area Committees (LACs), and explained that the meetings had been formally constituted in 2021. They were held four times per year, and their purpose was to engage, empower and enable local communities, and to bring local decision-making into communities. LACs had evolved based on feedback from participants, and agendas had become more flexible and themed, based on local needs and issues. Meetings had become more interactive, including holding workshops to discuss themes, and inviting Council services to attend to share information.

8.2

Carl Mullooly noted that the following observations had been made by participants, communities and the LAC teams:-

• Challenges were faced when selecting venues that were convenient and accessible;

• The formal element of the meeting felt intimidating for some people;

• Variation in attendance levels had led to discussions about the best value for money;

• Few decisions were made at the meetings;

• Webcast viewing figures were low; the timing of meetings was important so as not to be a barrier to attendance/viewing; and

• The ‘Future Sheffield’ programme had been set up to improve the ambition and service of Sheffield City Council over the next four years, and community engagement was a key part of this process.