Council Postpones Local Democracy Week

5.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 30th Sep 2009

Lib Dems were present at the University for the Creative Arts Freshers' Fayre, held in Epsom on 29th September : Cllr Lees is seen here talking to students

A major event for young people due to begin on 12th October has been abandoned by the Borough Council with just two weeks to go.

12th-19th October is designated Local Democracy Week across the whole country and is geared toward events for young people. According to a committee report published in early July, plans were in place for a roadshow to visit schools and colleges, a series of quizzes, a youth conference, an evening "speed dating" with local councillors, and a competition in which the winner would shadow the Mayor for a day.

The event was driven by a Motion to council earlier in the year from the Liberal Democrat group, but Cllr Jonathan Lees wonders why there were no contingency plans and thinks the organisation necessary for such an event must have been well advanced by the time it was cancelled just two weeks before its launch.

Cllr Lees said "when the plans for Local Democracy Week were debated by the Leisure Committee and approved, we were delighted, but was the Council ever serious about delivering them? Activities to support Local Democracy Week have been rather low-key in recent years despite the fact that young people are supposed to be one of the Council's key priorities."

The Borough Council hopes to reschedule the event sometime after Christmas but cannot as yet be specific about the activities or give a date.