OIC seeks community opinions

Orkney Islands Council is contacting people across the county to invite them to become part of its public consultation group.

Orkney Opinions gives an interested group of residents the chance to comment and provide feedback on a range of topics.

Letters have been sent to people whose names were selected at random from the Open Register of Electors.

The aim is to refresh the existing group of local residents by boosting the number to around 200.

Karen Greaves, the council’s head of executive support, said: “Orkney Opinions makes it easier for members of the public to make their views known, and for the Council to engage and consult on a regular basis and in detail with an interested group of local residents.

“Orkney Opinions has been running for four years now and has been an excellent way to get feedback from Orkney residents when a range of views is sought on a given topic.

“It’s a channel of consulting that sits alongside the formal and open consultations we run on policy and service changes, and we’re grateful to everyone who has opted into the group in the past for their detailed and considered responses to consultations.

“I hope many of the people we’ve written to will be happy to become part of Orkney Opinions. We’re asking those who’d like to join to complete a short questionnaire and return it to us.”

OIC’s aim is to have a membership that is representative of the local area. The surveys will be sent to group members in either paper or electronic form. Previous survey topics have included plans and policies, fees and charges, modes of travel, Orkney’s countryside, the Orkney Native Wildlife Project and community justice.