Newly Appointed District Electoral Area Coordinators Take Up Roles

The New Year signifies a change in how business will be conducted within each District Electoral Area (DEA) following the appointment of a specific coordinator who will proactively work in partnership with the community to deal with local identified issues.

In the very near future each DEA will be holding public meetings to encourage nominations for membership from the community sector who would represent as wide a range as possible of key themes such as Arts, Carers, Sport/Recreation, Sustainable Development, Women/Men, Disability, Equality, Housing and Homelessness, Race/Ethnicity, Young People, and Economic Development, to name but a few. As there are only eight places available it is anticipated that potential FORA members will be able to demonstrate representation on behalf of a local network of groups rather than just their own.

DEA Fora are being developed as a model of engagement and must therefore provide opportunities for all sections of the community to participate in discussion and operate as part of the decision making process. Within the Forum Councillors, Council Officers and key statutory partners will have an opportunity to discuss and debate the issues with key community representatives. A major part of this work will be to develop and implement locally based action plans that take into account the diverse needs that exist within each of the seven District Electoral Areas.

The establishment of this engagement infrastructure will further enable the community to effectively inform and influence the Community Planning Partnership at a strategic level. DEA Coordinators would encourage groups and individuals to attend the public meetings to ensure they can positively contribute to future planning and objective setting for their areas.