If you read the feature on Chippenham Town Council in The MJ 9 November issue you'll know that we are about as close to the community as it is possible to get, yet we operate at a scale that is comparable to many of the smaller district councils.

Chippenham's democratic processes mirror those of a council that has opted for the committee system of governance. Decisions have to be made by the full council, one of its committees or delegated to the ‘Proper Officer' often called a clerk, but in my case, a chief executive officer. That doesn't mean we can't make decisions quickly because we can and do act quickly, as our governance process allows us to be agile, nimble and move at pace.