Local AuthoritiesThe role of the Councillor

A councillor's primary role is to represent the interests of local residents. They can help you if you have an issue in your area with things such as:

Public transportRoad maintenancePlanning decisions Licensing Running of schools, libraries, museums and galleriesSocial work services Refuse collectionHousing benefit and council tax benefit.

The role of the councillor?

What councillors do?• Councillors attend full meetings of the council.• Make decisions about policy, budgets and services at a local or

community level• May have executive posts in relation to policy making, delivery of

services and use of resources – for example A member of the Education Committee.

• Attend community council meetings.• Serve on forums through which local issues can be discussed between

elected members, council officers and the wider community.

If you had a problem with a service provided by the council how could your councillor help you?

• In pairs, see if you can think in what ways a councillor could help you with this issue.

If you have a problem how then can the councillor deal with it.

• Offer you advice.• Speak to the relevant Department on your behalf.• Raise your issue with the relevant council Committee.• Take your issue to a meeting with the full council.• Contact the MSP/MP or EuroMP on your behalf.

What kind of Committees can councillors be a member of?

• There are a number of different committees. • We are going to look at two Committees In North

Lanarkshire • Planning Committee.• Licensing Committee.

Licensing Committee

• The Safety of Sports Grounds- (turnstiles, crowd size, seating)

• The Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act. (Opening hours, gambling machines, location of premises)

PLANNING COMMITTEE• Meet every 3 weeks and make decisions on,• Roads.• The lighting of roads and streets• The naming of streets and the numbering of premises

Question – (You have 6 minutes)• Councillors can assist their communities in many different ways.• Describe, in detail, two ways in which a councillor can help the

community they serve. (4 marks)PointDescribeExample