Making Cardiff Council more accessible to its students. Submitted by: Jake Smith

Senate Notes 1. During the next academic year, in May 2017, Cardiff Council will be having its first all-out election since 2012. All 75 Councillors will face re-election and there is clearly the potential for the political makup of Cardiff Council to change substantially.

2. The Cathays electoral ward is represented by 4 elected councillors on Cardiff Council.

3. Full time students make up 69.9% of the 16-74 population of Cathays. The vast majority of these students will be Cardiff University students. Students of Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of South Wales are largely resident in other parts of the city.

4. All Cardiff Council Councillors hold surgeries in their electoral wards where residents can come to them to raise issues in the local community and lobby the Council to take action. These are often held in local community centres or similar.

5. Cardiff Council has extensive powers in areas such as landlord and letting agent regulation, the provision of public transport, parking and road design, public amenities and venues which are used by societies, local parks and culture, Libraries and community regeneration.

6. Voter turnout in Local Government elections is low amongst the general population and lower still amongst the student population.

7. Student Senate passed on April 27th 2015 the motion “Making Cardiff Council more accessible to its students”. Senate resolves 3 of that motion said “That the long term viability of this policy should be reassessed at the end of the 2015-16 academic year or after 3 surgeries have taken place.” Only two surgeries have taken place but as this is the final meeting of Student Senate of the 2015-16 academic year Senate is asked to renew this policy.

8. Two local councilor’s surgeries have taken place in the 2015-16 academic year. Both were held in The Lodge of the SU with all four Cathays councilors across both parties attending over the two surgeries. Student attendance at the first surgery was regrettably low but attendance markedly increased at the second surgery.

Senate Believes.

1. That the student population of Cardiff is an undeniable economic benefit to the city and contributes to Cardiff's reputation as a vibrant, diverse and enterprising city.

2. That Cardiff University’ Students Union should provide opportunities and encouragement for students to engage with their Council and its elections and encourage our elected representatives to engage with their substantial student community.

3. That all Cardiff Councillors should endeavor to represent all their constituents and make themselves accessible to all sections of the community.

4. That Cardiff Council's responses to community issues in student areas and its long term planning for the city at large would benefit from Councillors representing student areas engaging students more by becoming more accessible. 5. That students are less likely to attend the traditional venues for Councillor surgeries, and would be more likely to use their rightful voice in their community if the Students Union made it as convenient as possible for students to meet their Councillors in the Students Union building.

6. That beyond the immediate benefit to students of potentially having the issue they raise with their Councillor resolved, greater engagement with local representatives should enable students to better understand their rights and improve student voter turnout in next years’ Cardiff Council election and elections at other levels.

7. As Cardiff gears up for its city-wide election the views of students must be prominent on the political agenda.

Senate Resolves.

1. For the Students Union President to encourage the Cardiff Councillors representing the Cathays electoral ward to hold drop in surgeries in the Students Union building.

2. Recognising the work load of Councillors and the demands on their time from their other surgeries the Students Union should endeavour to facilitate one Cathays Councillors surgery per term. This would amount to three student surgeries per academic year.

3. The Students Union should promote the surgeries to students using social media, electronic posters and by its inclusion in the regular all student emails, providing information regarding the issues students may find useful to raise with their Councillors such as housing.

4. That Cardiff University Students resident in the Heath and Roath (Plasnewydd council ward) areas of Cardiff deserve the same opportunities to conveniently engage with their Councillors. The Students Union should therefore consider the viability of holding similar surgeries at the Heath Park campus for Heath Councillors and in the Students Union building for Roath Councillors based on an ongoing assessment of the performance of the Cathays Councillors surgeries.

5. The Students Union should form a working group to consider further ways to ensure students are well represented by their Councillors and engage students with the Cardiff Council elections in 2017. The membership of this group should include at least one sabbatical officer and interested students. The group will meet occasionally as appropriate.