A SPARSELY attended meeting at Lydney Town Hall for the District Council Strategic Overview and Scrutiny Committee has sparked controversy – because almost nobody was aware it was happening.

The press release for the event last Thursday was sent by the Council on Tuesday, making it too late for publication.

Just two dozen people turned out for the event, which is held regularly for the District Council to show their committment to being accountable and 'transparent' in its dealings with policy and the public – but even those who had managed to get there were not allowed to ask questions to the panel since they did not have the required two working days to give written notice of their intention to pose queries.

The delay in sending out the press release – branded as 'shameful' by one commentator – has raised important questions about the way in which the public are notified of forthcoming meetings by the Council. But the angst about their tardyness in notifying the public of the meeting was also tempered with a degree of deja vu. As a shopkeeper from Coleford – who did not wish to be identified – told the Review: "This is utterly shameful. The meeting was held so that the scrutiny committee could report to the public about their work, and also take questions about council policy. It is as if they have gagged us.

"This behaviour is unacceptable and is just not democratic at all. To try and prevent us asking questions – especially when there are big issues at stake like the parking charges – is a disgrace. But it isn't as if this is the first time they have tried to keep us out of their meetings. Most of the council decisions seem to be in secret these days."

The Council sought to defend their lateness in notifying the press last Tuesday – thereby missing the deadline for publication in both the Forest newspapers – by stating that the meeting had previously been sheduled in a diary within their website.

Public questions that did manage to make it to the agenda included three from Lydney Town Council and two from individuals. In a reply to one question about sustainability the chairman of the Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Philip Burford, wrote: "From a scrutiny perspective our work is always evidence based and we involve the public in all aspects of our inquiries" – a statement that has raised ire and derision amongst those who wanted to pose questions of this committee.

•A public meeting about the Council decisiion to impose car parking charges across the area is to be held this Thursday evening at Coleford Baptist Church. Organisers are hoping that traders from the Forest towns, as well as members of the public who are affected by the charges, will attend to air their views.

•See Letters, page 8.