Thames Water to be under spotlight in special West Berkshire Council meeting

Thames Water is to have its feet held to the fire by West Berkshire Council and residents at a specially convened meeting.

The Scrutiny Commission has set up the meeting on October 11 to review the water company's activities.

Residents have been invited to submit questions or raise concerns by emailing them to the council.

The Scrutiny Commission is committed to upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and community interest in the council’s decision-making processes and holding the council accountable.

As part of the Liberal Democrat administration's commitment to openness following the May elections, the chair of the Scrutiny Commission has been offered to an opposition party member and councillor Carolyne Culver (Green, Ridgeway) has assumed the role, while Dominic Boeck (Con, Aldermaston) has taken on the role of vice-chair.

“Scrutiny is crucial to the democratic process, allowing residents and opposition and backbench councillors to explore the detail of council decisions and challenge anything of concern,” said Ms Culver.

“In an ‘executive-led’ council like West Berkshire where power is centralised, the role of the Scrutiny Commission is essential.

“My fellow commission members and I look forward to receiving residents' questions for our meetings this autumn.”

The Scrutiny Commission encourages residents to participate by suggesting topics of interest through a form available online, emphasising the importance of community input in shaping the council’s decisions.

The health scrutiny committee, chaired by Martha Vickers (Lib Dem, Speen), plays a role in ensuring the well-being of residents by considering their needs and experiences in the planning and operation of health services, and responding to formal consultations on health matters. It also scrutinises public health services provided by the council and commissioned providers.

This committee reports into the Scrutiny Commission but remains largely independent from the parent committee by setting its own agendas.

Both meetings are public and residents can attend to watch the meeting in person or via YouTube.

Over the past year, the Scrutiny Commission has examined various issues, including the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman report on a homelessness application, the Deadman’s Lane Active Travel Scheme and the Sports Hub's revised costs and development agreement.

The health scrutiny committee has explored topics such as access to primary care, dementia diagnosis and NHS dentistry.