Wirral cabinet to consider results of public consultation on £100m savings next week (From Wirral Globe)

Wirral cabinet to consider results of public consultation on £100m savings next week

10:05am Thursday 1st November 2012 in News By Craig Manning

Council leader Phil Davies

THE results of a public consultation to help Wirral council find ways of saving £100 million over the next three years will be discussed by cabinet next week.

It was launched in September to help the authority make decisions on vital savings in light of the fact that one third of its net budget will be removed over the next three years. More than 7000 people shared their views.

The consultation's findings will be discussed when cabinet meets next Thursday, November 8.

Council officers will publish a wide range of detailed savings options the following day, which will be consulted upon until the end of January.

When budget cabinet meets on February 18, it will consider public feedback on these options and make a decision on which should be taken forward for approval by full Council.

Residents, local businesses and anyone with an interest in the services that the council provided were urged to get involved by completing a questionnaire, which amongst other things, asked about peoples’ highest and lowest priorities and whether it would be right to increase fees for certain chargeable services.

The survey also asked whether the Council should consider outsourcing or sharing some local services with other organisations and which, if any, services should be stopped or reduced.

The council spoke to over 13,000 people at over 150 events, visiting locations including shopping centres, supermarkets, community centres, cinemas and bingo halls during the course of the consultation to make sure that as many people as possible get the opportunity to have their say.

Early indications show the response rate is the highest in the country for any comparable exercise. 

Leader of Wirral Council, Phil Davies said: "Firstly I would like to say thank you to everyone who took the time to get involved with the initial part of this process.

"The scale of the savings we are being forced to make is greater than anything we have faced before so it was vital that people gave us their views."

The results to the questionnaire can be found online, at www.wirral.gov.uk/whatreallymatters.