RESIDENTS in Eldene are hoping to have more of a say in the development of their community by setting up a residents’ association.

Ideas to establish a community group in the area were first voiced last summer, and on July 9 about 40 people from the community, including borough councillors, met at the Acorn Centre in Eldene Primary School to discuss the kind of group they wanted.

These included volunteers from the Horizon group, and representatives from the council’s communities team.

But despite a successful meeting, at which visitors discussed the future of the Eldene Community Centre, improvements to Eldene, the impending centre redevelopment plus events and activities in the area, it became more and more difficult to arrange regular meetings later on in the year.

Now Mike Davies, who co-ordinated the first few meetings, is planning a renewed effort to engage neighbours in Eldene to establish an active residents’ association.

He said: “Now we have Christmas out the way, I have been giving some thought to setting up the Eldene Residents’ Association.

“There is a proposal to set up a residents’ association for Eldene, to be called the Eldene Residents’Association, or ERA.

“We have looked at residents’ associations in other areas and have a proposed constitution and code of conduct, as well as an outline of various committee positions.

“The idea is for ERA to work on behalf of residents of Eldene and be a point of contact between them and organisations such as the council.

“This is on Facebook already, so some people have already seen it and we’re looking at developing it.

“In May 2014 there was a meeting with various community groups interested in developing the ‘community feel’ of Eldene. As a result of we had a residents meeting.

“Since then we have had a followup meeting, and are in the process of setting up a full Eldene Residents’ Association.

“We are going to have our next meeting in February, and will hope to vote in a committee there.

“I hope there will be volunteers to stand for chairman, secretary, treasurer and other positions on the new committee.”

The meeting will take place on February 9 in the Acorn Centre at Eldene Primary School.

The meeting will start at 7.30pm and everyone is encouraged to go along and get involved to discuss the new proposal.

For more information, visit eldenecommunity.wordpress.com or to register an interest in standing for a committee position, email Mike at eldenefacebook@gmail.com. Alternatively, visit www.facebook.com/groups/eldenecommunity.