TDC Budget 2013-14 - public consultation

Public Consultation closed - results now available below

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 for the next year by taking part in the budget consultation.

2. Background information

The Council has seen cuts in government funding of approximately 28% over the last two years and further cuts are anticipated over the next few years.

The Council has already budgeted to make savings of £1.5m in 2012/13 from a review of staffing levels; sharing services such as revenues and benefits, ICT and customer services with other local authorities; and from efficiency savings.

Further savings are now required to balance the budget for the forthcoming year (2013-14) and the following three financial years.

Further information on the budget - supplied at the time of the consultation.

3. When was the consultation carried out?

29 October – 7 December 2012.

4. Who was consulting?

Thanet District Council

5. Who was consulted?

This consultation was open to all residents across Thanet.

6. How was the consultation carried out?

Hard copy and online surveys were available to complete.

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.

7. How was the consultation promoted?

Survey sent by direct mail to 3,000 properties in Thanet at random.
A full page survey was published in the local free newspaper so local people were able to complete the survey inside the newspaper and post it back to the council.
A freepost address was supplied so members of the public did not need to pay for postage.
The consultation was promoted on every page of the council’s website throughout the consultation period.
The consultation was promoted to members of the business community through the Weekly Business News Round up.
Consultation was promoted to the council's local contacts (stakeholder and community groups).
Press release issued to all local and regional press and media contacts.
Ward councillors and parish councillors were all contacted to promote the consultation.
Consultation was promoted on social networking sites, e.g. Twitter.

8. What was the response?

688 surveys were completed and returned by the closing date.

9. What were the results?

Top priority services identified in the survey were:

Street cleansing - 70.6%

Waste and recycling – 70.3%

Community Safety services - 57.3%

Beaches - 55.8%