Local residents wishing to "play a role in influencing decisions and services in their areas" are invited by the Council to do so through attendance at regular Ward Partnership meetings with elected councillors in each of Islington’s sixteen wards. While seven Ward Partnerships are meeting regularly, one appears never to have met, nine wards have no future meetings advertised and five of those have not met since September or earlier.
The council website states "Ward Partnerships have replaced Islington’s area committees and must be consulted by council departments on a range of issues that affect local residents including: planning and community benefit from developments; traffic and parking; road maintenance; utility works; crime and anti-social behaviour; environmental improvements; tree felling; litter, dog fouling and neighbourhood clean-ups."
Green Assembly candidate, Caroline Russell said "Islington Green Party congratulates those councillors who are advertising and holding regular meetings, providing a way for people and organisations in a ward to get involved, meet councillors, share their knowledge and to help tackle local issues. But with half our wards having no future meetings advertised, there appears to be a significant shortfall in local democracy in the system. Over half our elected councillors should take urgent action to establish a programme of future meeting dates, advertising them widely to enable the community to engage with these important local issues".
See how the Islington Tribune reported the story here