Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – PLACE

To outline the Council's proposed approach to community consultation and engagement for the five-year period 2022-2027

RESOLVED: That Cabinet approved the Community Consultation Strategy for the period 2022-27.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

(1)  Consultation is critical to demonstrate that the Council is committed to engaging with its community, to help shape the direction of future policies, to inform necessary improvement or refinements to services and to ascertain if current approaches to service delivery are meeting the needs of residents.

(2)  Our most recent District Wide Survey (DWS) highlights a decline in resident views since 2019 on how we consult with them. We need to proactively show that we are a council that listens and wants to engage with our residents by successfully implementing our community-facing strategy.

(3)  Increased forms of digital consultation will enable us to reach a wider audience more frequently

Audio recording – 9 minutes 20 seconds

The Communications Manager presented the report entitled ‘Community Consultation Strategy 2022-27’ and provided Members with the following updates:

·         Our 2022 District Wide Survey results from this year highlighted that residents views on their involvement and engagement by the Council has gone down since 2019, but this was understandable as much consultation work during this time had been focused on the pandemic response.

·         This proposal is for a resident facing, community based consultation strategy and will involve explaining the consultation process to residents.

·         There was a need to consult residents more regularly and increase the level of digital consultation happening. The pandemic had demonstrated that the local community was capable and willing to use digital means to be consulted.

·         It was being explored whether a twice per annum District Wide survey could be launched, to give of the moment attitudes of residents.

·         Having two way conversations, by sharing results and being transparent with these, was important and results of this and future surveys would be displayed on dedicated webpage.

·         The strategy also acknowledged the need for face-to-face consultation led by Councillors at one-to-ones with residents, Town Talks and Surgeries.

Councillor Judi Billing noted that as Executive Member for Community Engagement she was happy with this strategy. It was good to see the proposals building on the digital developments that came from the pandemic, such as the whole street Zoom meetings.

Councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg, as Chair, proposed and Councillor Judi Billing seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED: That Cabinet approved the Community Consultation Strategy for the period 2022-27.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

(1)  Consultation is critical to demonstrate that the Council is committed to engaging with its community, to help shape the direction of future policies, to inform necessary improvement or refinements to services and to ascertain if current approaches to service delivery are meeting the needs of residents.

(2)  Our most recent District Wide Survey (DWS) highlights a decline in resident views since 2019 on how we consult with them. We need to proactively show that we are a council that listens and wants to engage with our residents by successfully implementing our community-facing strategy.

(3)  Increased forms of digital consultation will enable us to reach a wider audience more frequently