Moves to revamp the communications department at Lichfield District Council are part of plans to continue be more transparent, the leader has said.
The local authority has drawn up proposals to move the team into a new wholly owned company.
As well as enhancing the provision, a report said the plans would see the council “engaging with influencers to extend the reach of stories”.
Cllr Doug Pullen, leader of Lichfield District Council, told a meeting of the cabinet last week he was keen to see communication being more open.
“The big thing for me [about the communications change] is being resident-centric – we have to focus on what’s important.
“We’ve taken tremendous strides in being a really transparent organisation.
“We now broadcast our meetings, we make sure hardly anything is taken in confidential unless it has to be, and even then we take chunks of it into the public portion of our meetings.
“We are being more open, transparent and communicative than ever – but there’s still a long way to go.
“By putting the communications team into the arm’s length company they can take our direction and make things happen.”
Cllr Doug Pullen, Lichfield District Council
The changes come after external support was brought into the local authority on an interim basis in March 2022.
Cllr Pullen added:
“It’s critical to get strong internal communications. This isn’t about shiny press releases, it’s about genuinely opening up our communications channels.”
Cllr Doug Pullen, Lichfield District Council
