Agenda item

To receive a report by the Head of People, Performance and Partnerships (TO FOLLOW).

(Councillor T V Rogers, Executive Councillor for Resources and Customer Services, was in attendance for this item).

The Panel received a joint presentation by the Council’s Communications and Partnerships Manager and Senior Communications Officer on their proposals for future communications with residents in Huntingdonshire. Members were informed that following the public consultation on proposed budgetary savings in the previous year, a review of communication activities and their associated costs had been undertaken.  As a consequence the final version of District-Wide, the Council’s magazine had been published in May 2011.

The Senior Communications Officer outlined details and objectives of a proposal to produce an electronic newsletter on a quarterly basis. It was envisaged, assuming there were 5000 subscribers, that this would cost the Council £1095 per annum. Having also informed Members of the potential to prepare a limited number of printed versions twice a year, the Communications and Partnerships Manager expressed the view that the latter would not be a good use of the budget and other resources.

During discussion on the proposal, Members were advised that it would not generate advertising revenue. Councillor P G Mitchell queried whether it would be possible to reproduce the electronic version within parish magazines. Members agreed that this should be incorporated within the proposals. It was also suggested that parish council websites might be used to signpost residents to information about the District Council.

Councillor T V Rogers, Executive Councillor for Resources and Customer Services, drew attention to the forthcoming launch of the My Huntingdonshire website, which would provide a variety of information about the District. With this in mind, the Panel queried whether an electronic newsletter was necessary and suggested that, before a decision was taken to proceed, the Council should determine whether it was necessary to disseminate the information it would contain. In response the Panel was informed of the nature of the information which would be included within the newsletter and reminded that it was intended to review the proposal after 12 months. The review would have regard to the development of the My Huntingdonshire website.

The Panel discussed whether the use of e-communication would put an sections of society at a disadvantage. The Communications and Partnership Manager informed Members that data obtained in 2008 indicated that 30% of residents did not have access to email. In addition, following discussions with disadvantaged groups and the publication of articles in District-Wide, only one letter had been received in support of the retention of District-Wide. By comparison, there had been 700 requests to register an interest in receiving Council information via the website.

Councillor G Bull enquired whether it would be possible to analyse subscribers to ensure that information was reaching more vulnerable groups. The Panel was advised that the newsletter would only be received by those who requested it; however, it would be possible to monitor use of the Council’s website and the pages visited.

With regard to the production of a supplementary printed version of the newsletter twice per year, Members were generally of the opinion that this was unnecessary given the limited numbers it was intended to produce and the Communications and Partnerships Manager’s view that this would not be a good use of Council resources.

In considering the use of an externally managed database to store the email addresses of residents who had registered their interest in receiving Council information, Members queried what implications this might have for data protection and for the Council if data were to go missing. They recommended that risk assessments were undertaken of the company that would be used and of the Council’s equalities obligations.

Subject to the views they had expressed during the debate regarding the involvement of parish councils and risk management being taken into account, the Panel indicated their support in principle for the proposal to produce four electronic newsletters per annum over a 12 month trial period.

(Councillor M F Shellens indicated that he would not be voting on this matter).