The parish council will use the following strategies to ensure this.

Making information on what decisions are being considered and how residents can influence or contribute to the discussions/decisions available (in good time) to enable contributions.

Methods used to ensure this will be the website, 12 x neighbourhood noticeboards, leaflets, posters, consultations, word of mouth and easily understandable reports.

Boxley Parish Council will be proactive and be willing to consider any reasonable opportunities that support its purpose of getting information available and increasing contributions from the community, especially those difficult to reach i.e. housebound and disabled.

All meetings of the parish council and its committees are open to the public and there is a period set aside for residents to comment.

Residents can access agenda for the meetings via the website, parish office and noticeboards. The website and leaflets explain the procedure and offer tips for residents wishing to address members. Facilities also exist where residents can, where appropriate or necessary, make written reports or have a case presented on their behalf to members.

The parish office is required to play a neutral role so that residents can be fully involved and be confident that they are receiving unbiased information and support.

This neutral involvement allows more flexibility in the service and the personal element of the contact hopefully encourages more involvement from the hard to reach members of the community. Whilst the parish office has core times it will be opened outside these hours to accommodate people who work etc.

The Parish Council will produce and arrange distribution of a monthly newsletter for all properties in the parish.

The newsletter is also available via the website.

Details of how to contact the parish office will be displayed on the noticeboards, website and in the monthly newsletter.

The Parish Council will continue to produce leaflets (available from the parish office, website and Beechen Hall) that support the engagement of the community (e.g. Useful Contact Details, Meeting Dates, Can I be a Parish Councillor?)

The Parish Council will continue to use any opportunities afforded to be present in the community e.g. school fetes. Every opportunity to increase this public presence will be welcomed and considered.

Individual councillors as well as the parish office play a role in identifying opportunities.

Where possible the parish council will go to the community rather than expect them to travel (sometimes long distances) to meetings. The current position of using 5 venues in different area of the parish to hold the parish council meetings is to be continued.

When dealing with ‘controversial’ issues or with issues that affect a particular community then consideration will be given to holding special meetings in a local venue (e.g. additional Environment Committee meeting at Grove Green to deal with Maidstone Studio planning application).

Consultations and surveys are to be considered where necessary and appropriate and results will be made available.

Parish Plan. The Parish Council, due to community inertia, has up until now been unable to produce a community led parish plan. It will however hold a 2 yearly review of this to ensure that if situations become more favourable then the issue of parish plans can be addressed.

The Parish Council will be receptive to requests from residents or communities and will attempt to be flexible in order to ensure their opinions are known not only to the parish council but also to other organisations.

This may be by including an item for discussion on an agenda, allowing a local group to put their opinions into an official report undertaken by the parish council or by meeting youngsters at a local play ground.

The Parish Council will be open and accountable in its dealing with residents and the community. It will make information on its policies and procedures freely available.

The Parish Council will, where appropriate, ensure local people and communities are referred to the correct department/officer/ Borough or County Councillor and that they are aware of the ways that they can use the relevant systems to make their views known.

The Parish Council will review its Community Engagement Strategy on an annual basis to ensure that it remains relevant.

Ref Policy/Community Strategy