WINCHESTER City Council is taking its cabinet meetings on the road to make them more accessible to residents.

Every other meeting will be held in a different location around the district for the rest of the municipal year, which runs until May.

This decision was taken by cabinet to reflect the diversity and geographic scope of the district, which covers a wide area of central Hampshire spanning 24 miles north to south and 18 miles east to west.

It is hoped that this will ensure they are more accessible to residents from different areas, not just Winchester, and encourage people to interact more closely with their elected representatives.

The decision was made within the context of a long-term plan to increase opportunities for residents to attend, such as by scheduling meetings in the late afternoon so that people can come along after work.

Council leader Caroline Horrill said: “Members of cabinet believe that we should reach out to residents beyond the city of Winchester by taking our meetings to them. We are working hard to arrange the new venues and times, which we will announce in due course.”

Details of the cabinet meetings are published on the council’s website.