Participation in Community Forums

Community Forum meetings are collaborative spaces where residents are invited to share their thoughts and ask questions. Community groups and partner organisations are also welcome to propose items that they’d like to bring to future meetings to present information and gather feedback from Councillors and residents. Details on how to propose agenda items is available below.

We do ask that attendees remain respectful of one another and of the meetings, and public participation is subject to some rules.

To help you get the most out of the meetings, this page explains how to take part and sets out some rules to help us to support a safe and productive meeting.

Public Participation

As formal committees of Tameside Council, Forum meetings are conducted in accordance with the Standing Orders and Constitution of the Council.

Attendees will be invited to speak on an agenda item by the Chair once members of the committee have finished asking questions on the item. Residents should indicate that they wish to speak by raising their hand and waiting to be invited to speak by the Chair.

Attendees may only speak once on each agenda item and will be afforded a maximum of two minutes each to do so.

Each agenda item is timed and public participation will end once the allotted time for the item has past and the Chair determines to move on.

Asking Questions

Although residents are welcome to ask questions about a particular agenda presentation as set out above, residents who wish to ask questions on other topics related to the area covered by the forum should do so in writing.

In order to protect the privacy of individual residents, we’re unable to accept questions about individual cases or service concerns, to discuss these please get in touch with the appropriate service. If you’d like to contact your local Councillor to raise a concern in private, contact details for all Elected Members are available on the Council website here.

Agendas contain a limited period of time for answering public questions, and questions will be answered in the order in which they were received, so residents are strongly advised to submit questions in writing to democraticservices@tameside.gov.uk at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting (i.e. for a meeting on Tuesday all questions must be submitted by the Wednesday before the meeting). This will also allow officers to collect necessary information to give you a comprehensive answer. Please ensure to include the town or community forum which you would like to answer your question in your email.

However, residents are also welcome to submit questions on the day via officers at the venue before the start of the meeting.

The Council is committed to answering all submitted questions which meet the eligibility criteria below either in the meeting or in writing, and al questions and answers will be published online following the meeting.

The procedure and eligibility criteria for submitting a question to a Community Forum are as follows (Council Constitution, Standing Order 30, Paragraph 12):

1. There will be a maximum of 30 minutes for public question time;
2. There will be a maximum of one question per individual or organisation at each Forum meeting;
3. Questions must be submitted in writing in advance of the meeting or submitted in writing to officers at the venue before the beginning of the meeting;
4. Questions must be regarding a matter relevant to the area covered by the Forum, but may be relevant to the work of partner organisations in addition to areas for which the Council is responsible;
5. A question can be rejected if it:
   1. requires or is likely to lead to the disclosure of exempt or confidential information;
   2. is defamatory, frivolous, offensive, or factually incorrect;
   3. relates to a quasi-judicial matter;
   4. is substantially the same as a question that has been asked at a meeting of the Forum in the previous six months;
   5. is formed to make a statement rather than to receive information.
6. Questions which meet the criteria will be read out by the clerk in the order in which they were received and responses will be made by the Forum Chair, representative of the responsible partner organisation, or their nominee;
7. Where it is not possible to respond verbally at the meeting the response will be made in writing;
8. All questions which meet the criteria and responses to said questions, both those discussed at the meeting and those receiving a written response following the meeting, will be published on the Council website.

Community Agenda Items

Community Forum meetings are shared spaces and the Council’s strategic and voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise partners are welcome to participate. Community and partner organisations which operate in the area of a Community Forum are invited to submit proposals for items to be included in future meetings of that Forum.

Proposals and papers should be submitted in writing to democraticservices@tameside.gov.uk at least ten working days in advance of a meeting to be considered for that agenda. Please ensure to include the town or Community Forum to which you would like to present your item in your email.

The Council cannot guarantee inclusion of a proposal on any particular agenda, with items determined at the discretion of the Forum’s Chair.

The procedure and eligibility criteria for submitting a proposed agenda item are as follows (Council Constitution, Standing Order 30, Paragraph 11):

1. There will be a maximum of 30 minutes for items brought forward by partner or community organisations;
2. There will be a maximum of two such items at each Forum meeting;
3. These items will be selected by the Chair from submissions received which meet the requirements set out below;
4. Proposed items selected by the Chair can either be added to the agenda for the next meeting of the committee or added to the Forward Plan for a future meeting, as determined by the Chair;
5. All proposals for items and presentation materials etc must be submitted at least ten clear working days in advance of the meeting;
6. Proposed items must be relevant to the area covered by the Forum;
7. Only organisations active in the Forum area can submit items;
8. An item can be rejected if it:
   1. discloses exempt or confidential information;
   2. is defamatory, frivolous, offensive, or factually incorrect;
   3. is substantially the same as an item that has been presented to a meeting of the Forum in the previous six months;
   4. is formed to present opinion rather than to present information or consult the Forum and public attendees.
9. Items which meet the criteria and which are selected by the Chair will be presented by a representative of the partner or community organisation which submitted the item.

Keeping Everyone Safe

We have a commitment to host each meeting in an environment that is welcoming, secure and safe for all attendees.

Everyone present at meetings should be treated with courtesy and respect.

Behaviours, language or actions that impact public safety, cause disruption and/or delays to meetings are not acceptable.

To maintain this safe environment those attending must:

• register as a visitor by signing in with your full name
• allow the inspection of personal bags by Council employees or security staff
• follow the instructions of Council employees or security staff to leave the building when required to do so
• ensure any filming is done as discreetly as possible, focusing only on those actively participating in the meeting and respecting the wishes of any members of the public present who may not wish to be filmed

Those attending must not:

• use foul, abusive, threatening, intimidating or discriminatory language or behaviour towards Council Members, employees or other visitors
• cause a disturbance which hinders the safety of any attendees
• interrupt or interfere with presentations
• congregate in the building and/or obstruct thoroughfares, emergency routes and access points that would compromise the safety of people in the event of an emergency
• enter, or attempt to enter, restricted or non-public areas of the building
• wilfully cause damage to any Council property, deface or spoil Council property, and/or interfere with Council property in any way

The safety of all attendees at public meetings is our number one priority and we reserve the right to remove or restrict access to anyone engaging in unacceptable behaviour.

Attendees who have caused a disturbance may face a ban on attending meetings for a specified period of time.

We also reserve the right to make a formal complaint to the Police and to take legal action against anyone who abuses this policy.

We thank you for your support in keeping our meetings a safe, courteous and respectful environment for all involved.