Residents' Panel members invited to shape services at special Town Hall marketplace event

Over the past year, 238 residents have taken part in the Council's Residents' Panel, Young People's Panel and Reading Panel

Colchester City Council Residents Panel session 2026

 

Residents' Panel members from across Colchester will have the opportunity to speak directly with council services and senior leaders at a special Residents' Panel Marketplace event taking place at the Moot Hall, Colchester Town Hall, on Thursday 26 November.
 
Over the past year, 238 residents have taken part in the Council's Residents' Panel, Young People's Panel and Reading Panel, helping to shape services, influence decisions and provide valuable feedback on issues affecting the local community.
 
A new way to have your say
The Residents' Panel regularly hosts discussion sessions focused on one or two topics, allowing residents and council officers to explore issues in detail and provide meaningful feedback. The Council also runs Listen, Learn and Lead one-to-one sessions with Chief Executive Pam Donnelly, giving residents the opportunity to share their views directly with senior leadership.
 
This new Marketplace event will build on this successful approach by bringing together a wide range of services in one place.
 
Listening, learning and improving together
The event will feature around 18 council services and partner organisations, with resident panel members free to move around the Moot Hall speaking to the teams and topics that matter most to them.
 
Services attending include recycling and waste, parks, planning, city centre regeneration, digital services, museums, sport and leisure, barriers and accessibility, sustainability, Amphora and Colchester Borough Homes.
 
Members of the Residents' Panel Young People's Panel will have the opportunity to speak to officers on subjects important to them, ask questions and give feedback. Our Executive Director Place and Deputy Chief Executive, Lindsay Barker, and Leader of the Council, Cllr Paul Dundas will also be at the event, listening and talking to those that attend.

Colchester City Council Young Peoples Panel session 2026

 

Councillor Alison Jay, Portfolio Holder for Communities and Public Protection, said: "Our Residents' Panel plays an incredibly important role in helping us understand what matters most to local people and how we can continue improving the services we provide.

"The Marketplace event is an exciting new opportunity for residents to have direct conversations with the team’s delivering services across Colchester. Rather than focusing on a single topic, residents will be able to discuss the issues that matter most to them, ask questions, share feedback and hear directly from the people behind our services.

"The feedback we receive through our Residents' Panel continues to shape decisions, improve services and ensure residents' voices are at the heart of what we do. I would encourage anyone interested in helping shape the future of Colchester to find out more and consider joining."

Join the Residents' Panel
The Residents' Panel is open to anyone who lives in Colchester and wants to help shape the future of local services, projects and initiatives. Anyone interested in joining the panel or finding out more can visit: Colchester residents' panel | Colchester City Council.