A GROUP of citizens from all political parties and none is being formed to instigate a review of the process of governance within Mid Devon District Council to make it more responsive to the wishes of local communities.

The group’s inaugural public meeting is taking place at Old Heathcoat School Community Centre, 81 King Street, Tiverton at 7.30pm on Thursday, April 4.

The movement results from what it says are “a number of decisions taken by the District Council’s Cabinet in recent years which have not been in accordance with the wishes of local people and sometimes even the rest of the Council”.

Members of the public are invited to attend to discuss how the way in which the Council operates might be improved to make it more democratic.

The group says the move has been challenged by officers of the Council who recently wrote to parish councils and district councillors advising them to “proceed with caution” since campaigns for district and parish council elections on May 2 have begun.

This period is known as “the purdah” when the officers say there is “heightened sensitivity” and a limitation on the use of council resources for anything which might be seen as “potentially influencing the elections.”

One of the meeting organisers, Mrs Judy Tucker, of Crediton, said: “Freedom of information and communication and freedom of association if people wish to attend meetings are corner-stones of civic freedom in general and I firmly believe local councillors and would-be councillors have not just a right but a duty to acquaint themselves with anything which may affect the well-being of their communities.

“This purdah thing has got completely out-of-hand and seems to be used to suppress freedom rather than support it.”

A Mid Devon District Council alderman, David Nation, is also involved in the campaign.

He said: “I have been appalled at recent decisions by the Cabinet. They behave in a dictatorial and high-handed manner, very different from how things ran when I was last on the Council some eight years ago.

“This wasn’t how the Cabinet system was designed to run and unless they change it voluntarily, I believe that steps need to be taken to force them to adopt a more democratic and participatory system.”