IF THE events of the past week have proved anything, it is that residents do possess power.

After the Witney Gazette was excluded from a Witney Town Council meeting for a fourth time on Monday last week, we reported this fact.

The following evening, residents at the annual town meeting told councillors what they thought about meetings being held behind closed doors.

Accusations of secrecy made members stand up and take notice that their failure to share information has been causing concern in the town.

Of course, there will be some matters that are sensitive, for a number of reasons, but, as residents pointed out, they just want to know what is happening.

It is instances like last week, when the council refused to tell people what is going on, that create suspicion.

So it is refreshing that one of the council’s own members has come up with a plan to improve openness. Duncan Enright said in his letter to mayor Peter Dorward that it was the residents’ comments which made him realise something needed to be done.

As Mr Enright points out, the definiton of what matters are “confidential” is too vague at the moment.

But thanks to those residents who made it clear last week that they have had enough of behind-closed doors debate, perhaps something may be done to make more of the council’s proceedings open to scrutiny.