Across our communities, volunteers freely give their time to improve local life, protect shared assets, and speak up on behalf of residents. Community Councils are central to that work — yet an increasing amount of volunteer time is being consumed by one persistent and deeply unsatisfactory reality:

We are continually forced to chase the same outstanding issues with local government, statutory bodies, developers, and other organisations, repeatedly, often for months or years.

These are not obscure or minor matters. They are issues already raised formally, logged, acknowledged, and in many cases promised action. Yet progress stalls. Emails go unanswered. Reports are delayed. Meetings lead to warm words but no follow-through. And so, time and time again, unpaid volunteers must step back in simply to ask for updates that should already exist.

Every hour spent following up unresolved matters is an hour that could have been used more positively — supporting local projects, consulting with residents, responding to planning applications, organising community events, or developing the long-term priorities that matter most to our area.

Instead, volunteers find themselves doing the administrative legwork that paid staff in public bodies and private organisations have statutory responsibilities and salaries to deliver.

The imbalance is stark, and frankly, unacceptable.

Volunteers feel taken for granted, as though their freely given time has less worth than the paid positions they must continually pursue.
Burnout becomes a real risk, especially when the same issues resurface again and again without resolution.
Fewer people want to get involved, because they see volunteering not as rewarding community work, but as exhausting bureaucracy.
Community organisations struggle to fill roles, especially those requiring responsibility or regular commitment, when the return on effort seems so limited.
Local representation weakens, leaving communities with less influence in decisions that directly affect them.
If this pattern continues, it risks undermining the very structures that enable accountability, local democracy, and community voice.

A Call for Respect and Responsiveness 

Community Councils do not ask for special treatment. We ask only for:

Timely responses to issues we raise
Clear communication when circumstances change
Follow-through on commitments made
Recognition that our time — though unpaid — is valuable
These are basic expectations of any respectful partnership between public bodies, developers, and the communities they serve.

Moving Forward
We will continue to represent our community with dedication and fairness. But there must be genuine improvement in how outstanding issues are handled. Our time should be spent moving the community forward — not endlessly chasing what should already have been addressed.

To support greater transparency, the Community Council will now begin publishing the date we first request information, action, or intervention; to whom the request was made; and every subsequent occasion we are required to chase a lack of response or progress. This is not intended to name and shame, but to provide a clear, factual record of how long community matters take to progress — and where delays arise.

If you have thoughts or experiences on this issue, we encourage you to share them. A strong community voice matters, and together we can push for the accountability our area deserves.