The findings of this year’s “Shaping Bridgend’s Future” budget consultation have been published by Bridgend Council (pdf).
The headline finding is that a clear majority of the 1,441 people who took part either want council tax to be frozen (46%) or “increased by a bit to protect the most important services” (41%). Only 7% supported a significant increase.
As things stand, council tax is set to increase by 6% – which I believe is the highest increase since I started Oggy Bloggy Ogwr in 2011. Council tax was frozen last year ahead of the local elections.
Elsewhere, respondents wanted the council to spend less money on itself.
Areas deemed less important to protect from cuts include “improvements to council buildings”, “improving the council’s website/online services”, “making the council more commercial” and “keeping people informed about the council”.
Areas such as car parking, libraries, adult learning and leisure services were also deemed to be relatively less important to protect than others.
Service areas that respondents wanted to see protected from cuts included street cleaning, services for older people and disabled adults, road maintenance, child safeguarding and homelessness services.
Other key findings include:
- More people (38%) thought the council had performed “badly” or “very badly” in supporting communities and individuals to make decisions for themselves than those who thought the council did “well” or “very well” (10%). The majority (52%) chose “OK”.
- 45% of people thought the council performed “badly” or “very badly” in delivering services in a timely and easy manner compared to 40% who chose “OK”.
- 76% thought the council hadn’t done enough to improve town centres.
- 59% thought the council hadn’t created conditions for economic growth and enterprise.
- 80% supported the development of more online services.
