Putting 'U' in the budget

Public consultation now closed

1. Consultation overview

Every year Thanet District Council has to decide how to allocate Council Tax to fund a number of council services and to make improvements to the service it provides.

As part of this process, each year, residents are given an opportunity to help shape council spending and to identify what they believe should be a priority for the council by taking part in the budget consultation.

2. Background information

The main government grant that funds the councils budget has been cut by 16.9% for 2012/13, which is the biggest cut in the council's history. Over the last couple of years, we've also seen a reduction in other income.  This includes a decrease in our investment income and also a reduction in fees from building control, planning, car parking and green waste.

The council is looking to save £1.5 million in 2012/13 and will need to save even more in the next few years if we are going to consider keeping Council Tax at the current level.

Thanet District Council provides dozens of services to local people. With less money available to cover these services, we needed local people to tell us what matters most. 

Last year's consultation showed that residents’ top three priority services were:

• Waste collection and recycling
• Crime reduction and community safety
• Street cleansing

As a result these areas were protected from budget cuts as part of the 2011/12 budget process.

3. When was the consultation carried out?

December 2011 - January 2012

4. Who was consulting?

Thanet District Council was carrying out the consultation to help make sure the council’s Corporate Plan for 2012-16 covers the priorities of local people.  This will help the council to focus money and resources on the things that matter most.

5. Who was consulted?

This consultation was open to all Thanet residents.

6. How was the consultation carried out?

The consultation was promoted widely to ensure as many people as possibnle were able to participate. This included:

• Surveys were available to complete online, on request from the Communications team or by collection from the council offices, Thanet’s Gateway Plus and libraries across Thanet.
• Survey sent by direct mail to 3,000 properties in Thanet at random
• Members of local groups, committees and organisations in Thanet were contacted by direct mail with details of the consultation and copies of the survey (over 500 letters and e-mails were issued).  

• Large local employers were contacted directly to promote the consultation to their staff and the consultation was promoted to members of the Channel Chamber as part of their Weekly Business News Round up.

• A full page survey appeared in two free local newspapers so local people were able to complete the survey inside the newspaper and post it back to the council.

• The consultation was promoted on every page of the council’s website throughout the consultation period through a large colour banner at the top of each page.

• Consultation promoted to the council's residents panel

• Press release issued to all local and regional press and media contacts

• Ward councillors and parish councillors were all contacted directly to promote the consultation.

• Members of the Walkie Talkies were commissioned to complete surveys with residents in the Cliftonville West ward.

7. What were the results of the public consultation?

845 surveys were completed as part of the consultation.  This is the highest response to the budget survey to date.

When asked what is most important in making somewhere a good place to live the top responses were:

1. Feeling safe from crime and anti-social behaviour
2. Clean streets
3. Job prospects

A more detailed breakdown of the results will be available soon.

8. What happens next?

The results from the survey have been shared with senior managers and Councillors to ensure that the council continues to focus its resources on the things that matter most to local people.

E-mail:

hannah.thorpe@
thanet.gov.uk

Tel: 01843 577120