COMMUNITIES which have their own town or parish council will have a new voice on the regional chamber of the North-East Assembly when it meets in Darlington today.
Businessman Terry Batson, from Tow Law, is joining the assembly as the first representative of the grassroots third tier of local authorities in Durham, Northumberland and Cleveland.
He is one of nine members added by the assembly because it wanted a broader base in the region.
Mr Batson has been a member of Tow Law Town Council for 16 years and trained and worked in local government before setting up his own landscaping, arboriculture and playground installation company.
Tom Toward, secretary of the Durham Association of Town and Parish Councils, said: "We pushed for this because we are all individuals who live in our own communities and our views are vitally important."
The public are welcome at the assembly's plenary session, in Darlington Arts Centre, from 10am
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