Madam,

I have lived here for 20 years and only once been able to vote at county level, and never for my community council.

Community councils should be where local people take their first steps as councillors, but in Gwynedd many community councils operate more like secret societies than a group whose purpose is to represent their community.

Some even refuse to operate bilingually, excluding a large section of residents, while few publish dates or minutes of meetings.

I am proud to say that, following campaigning by the local Labour Party, my local council publishes minutes bilingually.

If we are to have more choice of county council candidates, our community councils must first be made more accessible so that all residents have the opportunity to learn the skills of representing their own community before moving on to county level.

I hope that the newly elected Gwynedd Council will take steps to ensure that our community councils become more open and that casual vacancies, when they arise, are well advertised.

Yours etc,

Rosy Berry, Llanfair.