The Community Engagement Committee is constituted to communicate and consult more effectively with local parishioners and all other relevant stakeholders to deliver better services and projects.
The Committee has no decision making powers but instead makes recommendations to Full Council for agreement.
The Committee usually meets four times a year and the Chairwoman for the Committee is Cllr Marj Otty. The Committee also has the power to co-opt individuals and representatives from local organisations (invited to attend due to their local knowledge, sense of community and enthusiasm for engaging Council residents). They will not have voting rights.
Activities of the Committee include organising the annual Christmas Lights switch on event, produce our quarterly community newsletter “Welwyn News”, and liaise with local and national organisations ( such as Welwyn United Charities, Citizens Advice and our local primary schools to improve and regenerate the area and progress projects (i.e. Cobb Lane Common, Digswell Playing Fields).
Examples of community engagement consultations undertaken by the Committee and Council during 2018 included electric vehicle charging points at the Civic Centre, input into the content of the quarterly newsletter distributed to every household in the parish, noticeboard information, and identifying the most suitable location for the installation of the Van Gogh bust. 2019 saw consultation regarding the installation of projector facilities at the two halls in the Civic Centre and 2020 saw consultation with every resident on the option of undertaking a Neighbourhood Development Plan for the parish and a review of car parking facilities via a survey questionnaire distributed to every household and online.