People are being asked for their views on the payment of allowances to city councillors.

The comments of Oxford residents have been requested by an independent panel, set up to consider allowances paid to council members.

The panel is inviting groups and individuals to submit their views, either in writing or by attending two open meetings at Oxford Town Hall on June 28.

Anyone who wants to make representations, either in writing or at the meetings, should fill in a special application form, which should be submitted by May 21.

The panel is made up of three members, who are independent of Oxford City Council. They are Prof Graham Upton, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, who is chairing the panel, Ken Brown, of Oxford and District Chamber of Commerce, and Liz Brighouse, of Oxfordshire Council for Voluntary Action.

Prof Upton said: "It is vital that members of the community have an opportunity to express their views on an issue which is crucially important to the exercise of democracy locally."

He added: "We want to get views from as many people as possible."

Application forms are available from Jude Skipp, Central Services Department, Town Hall, Blue Boar Street entrance, Oxford, OX1 4EY.

The meetings on June 28 are being held from 2pm to 4pm and from 5pm to 7pm.

Story date: Monday 03 May

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.