Councillor Diaries - new search facilities

Date published: 18/03/2007

Following consultation with councillors after the huge success of Rochdale Online's coverage of the local elections in May 2006 the Councillor Diary channel was added to the News amp; Features section of the site.

The number of councillors using the facility to keep constituents informed of their activities has steadily and consistently increased over the past 10 months and their diary entries have proved very popular with site visitors with over 12,500 reads last month alone.

In response to the increasing number of councillors taking up the Diary facility and the concomitant number of diary entries Rochdale Online has launched comprehensive new search facilities to help readers find what they are looking for - it is now very simple and easy to search the councillor diaries by keyword, by councillor or by ward.

Councillor Wera Hobhouse, recent winner of the Rochdale Online Councillor Diary of the Year Award, in her latest diary entry says: "It is so good to have Rochdale Online Councillor Diaries. It allows us "politicians’ to put forward our own views without the media putting its own little angle on it. At the same time people can either go online or leave it. It isn’t ever seen to be "unsolicited mail’, simply a free piece of information.

"Writing down some of my experiences as a councillor is also a useful piece of reflection for me. It helps me to shape some of my arguments and ideas.

"So thank you Rochdale Online not only for my award but especially for providing this forum of reflection, ideas and debate!"

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/News/councillor_diary.asp