People living in the Newark and Sherwood District to the north of the county could be given more power to make decisions about council services in their area. A new strategy being presented by the district council could see residents being able to "choose a direction of travel" on some matters.
The council is preparing to present its 'consultation and engagement strategy' at a meeting next month, with its leader saying that consulting with local residents is too often seen as a "tick box" exercise. The new plan will therefore aim to give residents, as well as tenants and businesses, more of an influence on future developments.
Councillor David Lloyd, the leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: "Engagement and consultation are vital to ensure that our residents and communities are at the heart of everything we do as a council. Consultation has too often been regarded as a 'tick box' exercise because it occurs too late in processes, or it is seeking to affirm a proposal without alternatives.
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"I want us to move more toward early engagement to shape proposals, moving away from standard surveys and toward generating meaningful dialogue. This cannot realistically occur on every issue or item, but it can properly help to shape strategies and policies."
The new strategy sets out five levels of community engagement that will be used depending on the matter being discussed. The stages range from low involvement, where information is shared about national policy that cannot be changed, to high involvement, where there is a devolved responsibility for residents to choose a direction of travel.
The council says, if approved, the plan will be in use for the next five years. Councillor Lloyd added: "I want to make sure that engagement with our communities is a continuous process which facilitates and encourages opportunities for residents to share their thoughts, ideas and experiences with us.
"This valuable information will, in turn, be used to inform changes and developments to current services, projects, initiatives, policies and strategies." The strategy is set to be approved at a cabinet meeting on October 4.
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