Lib Dem Fooks wants better access to council noticeboards (From Witney Gazette)

Lib Dem Fooks wants better access to council noticeboards

1:20pm Friday 4th January 2013 in Headlines

Jean Fooks

A COUNCILLOR wants better access to the city council’s community noticeboards.

Liberal Democrat Jean Fooks, pictured, says she wants to put up notices about community events but claims that she has to wait up to a fortnight before getting a key to the noticeboards.

She said: “This is quite an extraordinary decision that these boards are not to be used by councillors.

“We are meant to be community leaders.

“We need to be able to put up a notice that the community might be interested in.”

Ms Fooks added that she did not want to put up political notices.

But fellow councillor Steve Curran, the board member for young people, education and community development, said: “The communities and neighbourhoods team do not provide noticeboard keys to councillors in the interests of ensuring that community noticeboards are, and can be perceived by others to be, politically neutral.”

He added: “That 75 noticeboards across the city are managed by community groups and individuals is an excellent example of encouraging volunteering and community engagement.”

There are noticeboards across the city at locations including Cowley Library, Fairview Inn car park and Bullingdon Community Centre. They are managed by tenant and resident associations, community groups and other organisations.