EARLLER this week I chaired a meeting of Oxford City Council's East Area Forum.

Meetings take place regularly, so that local residents have another way of letting councillors know what matters most to them, so that we can reflect in our work.

They also enable councillors and officers to update residents on developments. On the agenda for this East Area Forum were the roadworks at The Plain roundabout and a cycle track at Warneford Meadow, establishing a Good Neighbour Project, how councillors disburse their ward budgets, and the Government’s shake-up of how you register to vote, which dropped over 12,000 people from the electoral register before Christmas.

What was clear from the meeting was just how unhappy East Oxford residents are with the county council leadership’s processes for keeping them informed and planning transport projects, and its low interest in sustainable transport proposals.

I’ve sent specific points to the county council, but I would welcome further contact from residents about this. By coming together and keeping the pressure on, we can stir the county’s leadership to put more effort into working with local residents to find better solutions.

The next Area Forum takes place on April 13 at East Oxford Primary School.

Please save the date from 6pm if you’re a local resident. The larger the turnout, the more fruitful the discussion is, and, as importantly, the louder our voice is in speaking to the county council.

Tom Hayes (Labour), city councillor for St Clement’s, Oxford

Today’s letters