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PARISH WEBSITE HELP FROM KCC

Parish and town councils throughout Kent are being helped to set up their own websites by the County Council so local communities can get more involved in grass roots democracy.

More than 140 parishes and towns across Kent have joined the scheme so far. The county council sets up the websites free of charge and trains any parish council people who need help in the day to day running of the sites.

The sites can carry local news and information and enable parishes to gather the views of local residents on important issues.

The scheme, a trail blazer in local government, will be officially launched and demonstrated in the main county council marquee at the Kent Show. County Council Leader Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, who will perform the launch on Friday, said: “This is helping to promote local democracy and community involvement at the real grass roots level. We are delighted to help our parishes and towns in this way and the enthusiastic take up and response has been tremendous.�

Interested people can find out more by accessing the parish portal service through the County Council website

It is hoped that all 311 parish and town councils in Kent will take advantage of the scheme which Kent County Council has worked on with the Kent Association of Parish Councils.

The County Council’s Cabinet Member for Resources, Kevin Lynes, added: “Strong communities and distinctive neighbourhoods are the bedrocks on which the strength and unique character of Kent is based. This is a first step in bringing true local democracy to all. With the success of the parish portal we will be extending this service to other community and interest groups in Kent.�