Issue - meetings

Members gave consideration to the proposals for the Budget Consultation 2021. The Business Support Team Leader explained that each year a consultation was undertaken on the following years’ budget prior to it being set. Although there was no legal requirement to undertake this, there was a legal requirement under the Local Government Act 1992 section 65 to consult ratepayers who were persons or bodies appearing to be representative of persons subject to non-domestic rates within the district and must be about the authority’s proposals for expenditure. Members heard that the council was a member of the Consultation Institute. Consultation according to the Institute was the dynamic process of dialogue between individuals or groups, based upon a genuine exchange of views, with the objective of influencing decisions, policies or programmes of action.

Members heard the target audience of the Consultation, proposed timescales and methods of engagement. The objectives were also detailed to be:

·         Raise awareness of the financial challenges.

·         Raise awareness of the diversity of services the Council provided.

·         Identify what areas of the Corporate Plan and the Business Plan should be prioritised.

Members thanked the Officer for the detail provided and noted the limitations because of the pandemic. A Member of the Committee enquired as to what, of previous consultations, had been taken forward and included in subsequent budgets. It was explained that the green waste charge and commercial property investments had been subject of the consultation previously. The point was made that it was important to listen to the input from residents in deciding where budget priorities should lie.

It was suggested that, rather than having no face to face sessions because of the pandemic, Officers and Members could ‘set up stall’ at the local markets and use it as an opportunity to talk with residents and engage them in the consultation process. This was considered to be a positive option and would be taken up.

Having been proposed and seconded it was

            RESOLVED that the Budget Consultation process be approved.