Agenda item

To update the Council on the feedback received from residents and organisations as part of the “Let’s Talk” engagement project which is due to be discussed by the Cabinet at its meeting to be held on 16 November 2017. 

Councillor Nick Wright, Portfolio Holder for Business and Customer Services and Deputy Leader of the Council, introduced a report providing an update on feedback from the “Let’s Talk” listening and engagement exercise which was intended to help inform the development of a refreshed Corporate Plan for 2018 – 2022.

Consultation had taken place between July and September 2017. A number of engagement events had been held and had included a sample of six villages of varying sizes and varying amounts of growth.  The face-to-face events had been supplemented by a web based survey, posts on social media, articles in the residents’ magazine and by running a focus group.

Councillor Wright drew attention to the key issues highlighted by residents as important to them, as set out in paragraph 10 of the report.

During discussion:-

•           Councillor John Williams queried whether professional advice had been sought in designing the survey, noting that a number of open questions appeared to have been used. 

•           Councillor Philippa Hart expressed reservations about the survey and sought clarification as to what had been learned from the consultation exercise.

•           Councillor Bridget Smith commented that residents had been asked what they liked about living in South Cambridgeshire, but did not appear to have been asked about what they did not like.  She also referred to the apparent contradictions in some of the responses highlighted in paragraph 10.

•           Councillor Sebastian Kindersley expressed concerns about the validity of the results and whether they should be used to inform the Corporate Plan. In particular, he noted from the report that the exercise had not reached residents from non-white British communities or those with disabilities.

Responding to the comments raised, Councillor Wright:-

•           Confirmed that professional advice had been taken and followed in designing the engagement exercise.

•           Advised that the “Let’s Talk” engagement had followed the usual procedures adopted by the Council when undertaking consultation exercises.  It had however been extended to offer more face-to-face opportunities to capture feedback. He thanked the staff for their efforts in attending and facilitating the events held.

During further debate:

•           Councillor Tumi Hawkins indicated that she was keen to understand the criteria used in selecting the communities chosen for the face-to-face events.

•           Councillor Douglas de Lacey commented that the Council had missed the opportunity to focus on areas with which residents were dissatisfied so that it could seek to address those areas.  Noting that cycle paths had been identified in responses to all three questions listed in Appendix A, he reported that he had lobbied for the adoption in Cambridgeshire of “Operation Close Pass” and asked that the Leader of the Council raise the issue of safety of cyclists at any future meeting with the Police and Crime Commissioner.

•           Councillor Anna Bradnam supported the view that the engagement exercise should have sought residents’ views on areas with which they were dissatisfied and where improvements where needed.  She also commented that the design of survey questions could influence the outcome of the results.  However, based on the results presented it appeared that improving road safety and tackling congestion were key issues to be addressed.

•           Councillor Deborah Roberts felt that the survey contained “leading questions”.  With reference to the question “How can we preserve and enhance what is important to you whilst the district is changing?” she also highlighted the apparent conflict in seeking to preserve and enhance communities having regard to the significant scale of growth facing the District. 

In closing the discussion, Councillor Nick Wright commented on the intention that there would be an annual consultation exercise and indicated that the comments from Members had been noted and would be taken on board for the following year’s exercise.