Market Drayton residents urged to speak up on issues
More Market Drayton people should take the opportunity to ask questions at council meetings, a councillor said.
Roy Aldcroft, who sits on Market Drayton Town Council and Shropshire Council, was "seriously fed up" with the lack of public engagement at last Thursday's full council meeting.
The deputy mayor said it was the latest of several recent meetings where nobody took the opportunity to submit questions or apply to speak in the public session at the beginning of the meetings.
Councillor Aldcroft said: "At every meeting we get 15 minutes for members of the public to give us their trials and tribulations. They can make a point.
"It won't necessarily go on an agenda that evening but it will go forward and get a council response.
He said both he and mayor Roger Smith were annoyed to see people complain about issues in the town on social media, and then be faced with a "row of empty public seats at every council meeting".
"I would like to see more people attending council meetings and participate in that public session."
The full council meets about once every eight weeks. To speak on an item, let the town clerk Julie Jones know by noon the day before the meeting.
The schedule of the town council's meetings, and that of its committees, can be seen online at marketdrayton.gov.uk. The next meeting of the full council will be on October 31. The town hall is also open and staffed from 9am to 1pm Monday to Friday.
