Connecting Communities - An Overview
Our Connecting Communities programme is designed to help public services and residents work together to identify and address areas of concern in our local communities. To achieve this, the Council has worked with partners, parishes and councillors to establish five Area Forums to help streamline and simplify local engagement. The five Forums are:-
Bath Area Forum
Bathavon Area Forum
Chew Valley Area Forum
Keynsham Area Forum
Somer Valley Forum
Click on these links to find out more about each Forum, the communities they cover, when they meet and their recent discussions.
Next meetings (all starting at 6pm)
Bath Area: 20 February 2023 - by Zoom
Bathavon Area: 8 March 2023 - in person at St Andrew's Church, Foxhill, Bath
Chew Valley: 23 February 2023 - in person at The Library, Chew Valley School
Somer Valley: 7 March 2023 - by Zoom
Keynsham Area: 22 February 2023 - by Zoom
Who attends?
All Forum meetings are open to the public to attend. Since the start of the pandemic, Forum meetings have been held online. The Forums are independent of, but supported by, the Council Each has its own terms of reference which can be found on the documents section of this page. Members of the Forum include Ward Councillors, Parish Councillors in parished areas and representatives of local community groups. Each Forum sets its own priorities based on an understanding of local needs.
What is discussed at Forum meetings?
Bath and North East Somerset is a diverse area with differing needs and priorities. The Council and its partners recognise this and value the local knowledge and feedback those attending Forum meetings provide as this helps to shape local services. The items discussed at Forum meetings include those the Council and its partners need to share or would like feedback on; items the Forum members themselves wish to discuss and opportunities for local organisations to share information and best practice. The Forums also provide a useful channel for residents to raise concerns with partners such as the Police and Fire Service, which regularly attend.
The 'Connecting Communities' approach has been built around five key principles:
- listen
- prioritise
- join-up
- work with you
- share ideas
Future meeting dates for each Forums
Links to further information
Working with Parish Councils and The Parish Charter
Planning - Advice and Guidance for Parishes
Connecting Communities Framework
If you need any further information please contact:
The Community Engagement Team
connecting_communities@bathnes.gov.uk
Telephone 01225 396975
