Agenda item - 2019/20 Budget discussion

41.1           Ododo Dafe, the Head of Income Involvement & Improvement, introduced the discussion on the 2019/20 budget and specifically asked residents to identify where the council needed to improve the environment of the estates which was the lowest performing area on the STAR survey.

41.2           Residents raised the following areas for improvement:

·  pruning of trees and bushes

·  enforcement on fly tipping

·  grounds maintenance

·  security presence

·  support for residents in maintaining their own area

·  appearance on bin storage

·  lighting

·  speeding enforcement

41.3           Officers stated that the main area for the budget consultation that arose for residents and councillors were fuel poverty, decoration, fly tipping, to address isolation for vulnerable tenants, improved maintenance for older council stock and to increase social housing stock. Officers added they intended the money for environmental improvements to go in to a meaningful project and focus on smaller improvements that would make an immediate difference for residents.

41.4           The Chair questioned on how residents would be involved in prioritising and forming the budget and what would happen after the Citywide Conference.

41.5           Officers responded that the next draft of budget papers would have more detail on the spending programmes and at this stage the discussion was consulting on what material differences residents wanted to see. Officers added that consultation would not be on the whole of the budget as part of this had been decided through the Housing Asset management Strategy.

41.6           The Chair stated that not everything was set in stone and through these processes would emerge some real choice for residents.

41.7           RESOLVED – That the panel agreed to note the report.