Agenda item

The GCP Communications Manager presented a report which provided an update on proposals to refresh and improve the GCP’s Communications and Engagement Strategy. This built on experience to date, external reviews, including that carried out by The Consultation Institute, stakeholder feedback and in analysing the geography of multiple additional transport schemes. It proposed moving to a place based engagement model.

Joint Assembly members made the following comments:

·         Councillor Massey expressed support for the proposals. She welcomed the use of social media and encouraged the use of better and more informative posters.

·         Councillor Wilson informed the Joint Assembly that some communities, such as Cottenham for example, had no understanding of what the GCP schemes meant for their community. She pointed out that there had been engagement on rural travel hubs with Oakington residents but not with Cottenham residents. More engagement was needed with feeder villages such as Cottenham.

·         Councillor Bick supported the proposals in the report but urged that engagement should not just tell communities what was happening; their input was needed to inform proposals. The Joint Assembly needed the views of the broader community  to inform its discussions.

·         Councillor Sollom pointed out the importance of community generated proposals and emphasised that communities needed to be brought along with the GCP.

·         Councillor Topping pointed out the importance of keeping the public engaged in the work of the GCP.

·         Helen Valentine, while agreeing with the proposals, raised concern about whether area meetings considering multiple topics at a meeting would get to the same level of detail that LLFs had and which had been beneficial to GCP projects to date. She also referred to the proposal on page 77 for LLF reports to be submitted to the Executive Board alongside Joint Assembly feedback and raised concern that input from LLFs might skip the Joint Assembly and go straight to the Executive Board. She felt it was important that the Joint Assembly was informed by the views of the LLFs when considering proposals.

·         Jo Sainsbury supported the direction of the draft engagement calendar but raised concern that most consultation appeared to focus on transport. Communities also needed to be engaged in the wider aspects of the work of the GCP such as housing and skills.

·         Councillor Wotherspoon highlighted the concern that LLFs had not had enough time to consider papers before Joint Assembly and Executive Board meetings. He supported them having more time to consider and discuss proposals and to form a community response to these.

The Communications Manager responded to the points raised by the Joint Assembly:

·         With regard to the comments on lack of engagement with Cottenham, confirmed that she would make contact with Cottenham Parish Council.

·         She clarified that the intention was not to bypass the Joint Assembly and take reports straight to the Executive Board, rather that a more formal report setting out LLF feedback would be submitted to the Board.

·         The GCP did not want to lose local knowledge and local detail. Workshops on the detail of the schemes would supplement broader community meetings.

·         The GCP would be launching an email update and alert system that members of the public could sign up to via the GCP website, to keep them informed.

The Chairperson noted that there was general support for proposals to refresh the GCP's Communications and Engagement Strategy. The Joint Assembly had highlighted the importance of keeping the community engaged with the work of the GCP and had indicated general support for the concept of broader place based community meetings. However members were keen that the level of detail that had been achieved through LLFs looking at schemes should not be lost and had flagged up a need to engage communities in the wider aspects of the GCP’s work, such as housing and skills.

The Chairperson noted that Beth Durham, Communications Manager, would shortly be leaving the GCP and, on behalf of the Joint Assembly, thanked Beth for her work on behalf of the GCP.