Record of attendance at meetings The following table records attendance at formal meetings where the member concerned has been formally appointed to serve on that body. It does not include those meetings where the Chairman of a meeting may have invited members who are not formally appointed to that Board or Committee, to attend and speak on business in connection with his/her duty as a member of the Council, or to attend as a Ward Councillor, which many members do.
Similarly the database does not record specific reasons for absence such as if a Councillor is absent on another public duty, representing the Council elsewhere.
Councillors have a much broader, community representative role that extends beyond simply their attendance at formal local authority meetings and a simple list of attendance does not reflect the full and wide ranging activities that they undertake in the discharge of their responsibilities. These include ward surgeries, training events (shown separately) and party political group meetings.
Councillors have an important role in representing, supporting and promoting the interests of their constituency and the communities within it and acting as a link between those local communities and the Council, therefore a great deal of time is spent, for example, following up issues, all forms of correspondence and telephone calls.
The table does not record attendance in respect of Councillors' other areas of work as these meetings are not managed by the Council, such as:
- Constituency work including surgeries
- Political Party meetings
- Outside Bodies
Councillor's Portfolio (Part 2) under the Council's Constitution (PDF file)
Summary of Attendance at Meetings May - July 2011 (PDF file)
Summary of Attendance at Meetings August - October 2011 (PDF file)
Summary of Attendance at Meetings November 2011 - January 2012
Summary of Attendance at Meetings February - April 2012
Summary of Attendance at Meetings May - July 2012
