In an effort to bridge the communication gap between local authorities and the public, the residents' group United Scarborough has announced plans to take to the streets.
The group is seeking to bypass traditional methods of engagement in favour of direct, face-to-face interaction with those who live and work in the town centre.
Cheryl Mann, representing United Scarborough, explained that the initiative is born out of a desire for more authentic feedback. The group is currently looking for volunteers to help facilitate these conversations. Ms Mann expressed a clear preference for the term "survey" over more formal administrative language, stating:
"We're looking at volunteers who are willing to come out onto the town centre and ask residents, interact with the residents, interact with the businesses, what do they want?
We'd be looking at more surveys, not consultations cuz we don't like that word. We would be doing surveys in the town centre. Maybe it would be our own surveys for United Scarborough or it could be for Scarborough Town Council or anyone that would be looking for a survey to be presented for a reason."
The move comes amid concerns that existing channels of communication may not be effectively capturing the needs of the community. United Scarborough says it aims to act as a vital link between various local factions, ensuring that the primary focus remains on the people who make up the heart of the town.
According to Cheryl Mann, the human element of these interactions is the most crucial component. She emphasised that the group’s mission is to ensure that no voice goes unheard, saying:
"Interacting with residents and interacting with businesses is what we need. A lot of people have brought up there's no communication between groups. We want to be that interlink. We want to be that communication between that group, this group. We want to work with all the groups and we want residents voices to be heard which is why we would be going out into the town centre speaking to the residents.
What do they want? It's all about the residents."
The group’s recent meetings have already shown promise in fostering a more collaborative environment. These gatherings have attracted a diverse cross-section of the Scarborough district, including business owners, residents, and representatives from both North Yorkshire and Scarborough Town councils.
Cheryl noted that the informal setting of these meetings has helped break down barriers, allowing for more open and honest dialogue with elected officials. She observed:
"These meetings have their attendance is so well. We've got North Yorkshire councillors, we've got Scarborough town councillors, we've got residents, we've got business owners, we've got a cross-section of people from the Scarborough district.
We want them, we want residents to ask their councillors in a setting like this. And to be fair, the councillors are sat in the audience, they feel a lot more relaxed. They want to answer our questions. They want to feed back what's been happening at their meetings. They want to interact with us and that is all we wanted."
As United Scarborough prepares to deploy its volunteers, the group says it remains focused on its goal of creating a more connected and responsive local community, where the residents' desires are the driving force behind the town's future. There is more information at https://www.facebook.com/groups/614896257351350
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