LOCAL people are being invited to have their say using the latest online tools on how Kirklees Council can make a difference to their lives.

The council and its partners are trying to involve communities in a variety of different ways to help improve services, increase efficiency and generally give people a greater say in how things are run.

People can already do this through a number of ways, including community walkabouts, neighbourhood drop-ins, workshops to talk about options on particular projects, surveys and questionnaires.

Topics covered include tackling childhood obesity; developing the volunteers network; and creating community centre adult learning courses.

People have been invited to make their views known through a new online facility to create e-petitions which is already being used successfully at Bristol City Council.

An online petition there was successful in protecting a piece of street art by artist Banksy after calls for its removal.

Kirklees Council leader Clr Mehboob Khan said: “E-petitions are an easy and direct way for people to bring to our attention issues which affect themselves and their neighbours and where they feel the council can make a difference.”

The e-petitions webpage is at www.kirklees.gov.uk/petitions where there is also information on starting a petition.