SHAW and Crompton councillors will meet before Christmas in a bid to move closer to a public consultation on possible plans to change from Parish to Town Council status.
Before the one-
item agenda meeting on Tuesday, December 19, councillors are expected to submit thoughts and ideas on the pros and cons of the status change.
“In order to have a consultation process we need to give the general public information to be consulted upon,” said Cllr Christopher Stephens.
Parish Council clerk Tony Hilton added: “The missing part if the jigsaw I think is a position statement.
“And with regard to other precedents set by Parish Councils changing to Town Councils I have information from three that have been through that process which may be useful to share for discussion at a one-item agenda meeting.
“This will enable councillors to be furnished with some background as to the procedures and methodologies others have utilised to get to the point they got to.
“It might also tease out some of the debate that might be used here for Shaw and Crompton.
“We have a lot of detailed information about the actual methodology about consulting with members of the public, but there is nothing to present to them.”
Cllr David Bibby suggested an appropriate officer from Oldham Council be invited to a future meeting to provide input on the possible change.
At an earlier meeting Cllr Mike Dodd said: “Irrespective of the outcome, there is one tremendous advantage from the public debate about Town v Parish. That is publicity.
“No Parish Councillor can deny that over the last decade or even longer, the promotion of the Parish Council has been, at best, haphazard.
“True, we hold events and publicise as much as possible. But here is an ‘event’ that will publicise itself and run and run.
“Here is a heaven-sent opportunity to ‘sell’ the Parish or Town Council to the people of of Shaw and Crompton, not forgetting that corner of Royton within the boundary.
“We should take our time over the exercise. We have already seen the newspaper interest in our proposal of Town or Parish and this can and should be extended throughout the six months the Council gave as the time limit.”