Colchester's Residents' Panel and Young People's Panel meet about 18 council services at the Moot Hall on 26 November, 10am to noon. How to join the panel.

Members of Colchester’s Residents’ Panel and Young People’s Panel will meet around 18 council services and partner organisations in the Moot Hall at Colchester Town Hall on Thursday 26 November, from 10am to noon. It is the first time the two panels have come together for a joint event, according to the panel’s events calendar.

The council is calling it a Marketplace. Instead of one topic and one table of officers, each service will have its own spot in the hall, and panel members can walk round and talk to whichever teams they want.

Who will be there

The council lists these services among those attending:

  • recycling and waste
  • parks
  • planning
  • city centre regeneration
  • digital services
  • museums
  • sport and leisure
  • barriers and accessibility
  • sustainability
  • Amphora, the council-owned company that has looked after the city’s parks since 1 November
  • Colchester Borough Homes

Lindsay Barker, the council’s Executive Director Place and Deputy Chief Executive, and Cllr Paul Dundas, the Leader of the Council, will also be at the event, the council said.

Secondary school pupils in uniform talking around tables in a Colchester Town Hall room with chandeliers and a patterned carpet
Young People's Panel members at a session in Colchester Town Hall. Photo: supplied by Colchester City Council

238 residents took part this year

Over the past year, 238 residents have taken part in the council’s three panels: the Residents’ Panel, the Young People’s Panel and the Reading Panel.

The Residents’ Panel usually works through discussion sessions on one or two subjects at a time. Its published meeting summaries go back to its first meeting on 20 February 2023, and since then members have held workshops on the Jumbo water tower, Holy Trinity Church, the Castle Park playground, the draft recycling and waste strategy, air quality, St Botolph’s Quarter, Firstsite and local government reorganisation.

The council also runs Listen, Learn and Lead sessions with its Chief Executive, Pam Donnelly, where residents put questions to her directly. The most recent was on 21 October, and the calendar describes it as having “no topic or agenda, we are open to all questions and discussions.”

What the council says

Cllr Alison Jay, Portfolio Holder for Communities and Public Protection, said: “Our Residents’ Panel plays an incredibly important role in helping us understand what matters most to local people and how we can continue improving the services we provide.

“The Marketplace event is an exciting new opportunity for residents to have direct conversations with the teams delivering services across Colchester. Rather than focusing on a single topic, residents will be able to discuss the issues that matter most to them, ask questions, share feedback and hear directly from the people behind our services.

“The feedback we receive through our Residents’ Panel continues to shape decisions, improve services and ensure residents’ voices are at the heart of what we do. I would encourage anyone interested in helping shape the future of Colchester to find out more and consider joining.”

What it means for you

The Marketplace is for panel members, so the way in is to join. According to the council’s panel page, anyone aged 18 or over who lives in the City of Colchester can sign up, using the online form. Questions go to residents.panel@colchester.gov.uk.

The role is unpaid, and most of it happens online through surveys, with some face-to-face sessions, focus groups and interviews. Members choose what they take part in and do not have to answer everything. The subjects the council says it wants views on include budget setting, town centre design, local services, travel, climate change and the pressures facing families.