Kempsey Parish Council’s newly updated Communications Policy, last revised in 2023 but now being waved around again sets out how the council intends to keep communication “clear, accurate and consistent.”
At least, that’s the theory.
In practice? Recent meetings, FOI requests, and mid-speech shutdowns tell quite a different story.
The policy itself stresses the importance of:
“Better understanding the needs of the community” “Developing an effective voice for the community” “Ensuring parishioners’ issues are raised” “Retaining a clear record of communications”
All perfectly reasonable aims.
Except… residents are increasingly asking: Is any of this actually happening?
FOI Requests: A Tool of Transparency… or an Inconvenience?
Freedom of Information requests exist so the public can access information that should already be easily available. They are a legal right, not an irritation. Yet recently, local residents submitting FOIs have found themselves waiting, chasing, and wondering why standard responses seem to take longer than necessary.
The Communications Policy even says:
Correspondence must be circulated Records must be retained Communication should be “clear” and “accurate”
So why are residents having to fight so hard just to get basic answers?
And now, in what looks suspiciously like another attempt to slow the process down, the Council is discussing the creation of an Internal Review Panel for information requests, a step normally taken by large authorities, not a parish council of Kempsey’s size. Another layer of delay? Another way to keep information in-house and out of sight? Time will tell.
Meetings: Public Participation (Terms & Conditions Apply)
The policy talks a lot about communication, good practice, transparency, community voice. But at recent council meetings, residents and even councillors have experienced being cut off mid-question, being told topics cannot be discussed. Being redirected or shut down entirely. Being told they must email instead of speaking. Being warned not to engage with the media without permission.
Much of this directly contradicts the spirit of the policy, which claims the council wants to “better understand the community and its priorities.”
If understanding the community is truly the goal, surely listening would be the first step?
Social Media: Controlled, Sanitised and Clerk Approved
Another highlight:
“No social media posts representing the Parish Council may be published unless approved by the Clerk.”
So one person, the very person responsible for responding to FOIs and resident enquiries also controls what information the public is allowed to see.
That’s… tidy…
Very tidy…
Almost too tidy…
The Gap Between Policy and Practice…
On paper, the Communications Policy is all about openness…
In reality, it appears increasingly about managing communication, controlling it, slowing it, filtering it, and sometimes preventing it altogether.
When councillors must copy every email to the office, when press queries must go through a single channel, when residents can’t finish a simple question in public meetings… that isn’t open communication.
It’s gatekeeping.
And the recent uptick in FOI requests isn’t a nuisance it’s a symptom.
A symptom of a community that no longer feels listened to.
A symptom of residents who want transparency because they aren’t getting it willingly.
Where Does Kempsey Go From Here?
Policies don’t matter if they aren’t followed.
Transparency doesn’t exist if information is withheld.
Community engagement doesn’t mean much if the community can’t speak.
KPC has a choice:
Continue tightening it’s grip on communication and deepen the divide with residents or finally start living up to it’s own policy by communicating openly, honestly, and consistently.
Because the people of Kempsey aren’t asking for anything extraordinary.
Just the truth.
Just answers.
Just a council that listens.
And judging by the FOIs, the packed agendas, and the rise in public scrutiny… they’re done waiting quietly.
