Agenda item

B&NES Council Consultations

Councillor Paul Myers, Cabinet Member for Economic and Community Regeneration will lead a discussion requested by the forum on B&NES Council Consultations.

Minutes:

Virginia Williamson explained that his agenda item for The Bath City Forum had been included at her request. Bath City Forum members had received paperwork on this topic that had been circulated earlier.

 

Cllr Paul Myers explained to the forum that he welcomed the opportunity to discuss this topic with them as this is an area of work that he has already looked at, and recognises that there is further work that can be done with the communities across all of Bath and North East Somerset.

 

The PowerPoint presentation which Cllr Myers used is included within the meeting minutes.

 

There were a number of points that were discussed during the presentation:

 

  • We are all part of the consultation process.
  • The process of consultation has many levels which need to be clearly defined.
  • When consulting the Council needs to be able to set out the points in the process and where and when they need to have discussions about the options.
  • There are examples when the Council wish to consult on areas such as the setting of the budget. There is still a place for sharing the position and asking about the impacts, but this needs to come with an explanation.
  • Good consultation will give participants a true sense of involvement. 
  • Improvements to Council consultation are already underway, the approach on Bath Breathes, the Parking Strategy and Modern Libraries.
  • The Council have taken an inclusive approach to engagement; how Neighbourhood CIL is spent, the setting up of a Third Sector Group, the Parish Charter and Fix my Street all show a commitment to a more collaborative approach.
  • There are complex governance structures that the Council have to work within, how we make this easier to understand can be addressed.

 

 Comments / Questions

 

Cllr Lin Patterson raised the issue about consultation and when will the changes take place and when can we expect to see the results of the changes.

 

Cllr Tim Ball asked if we convinced we are sure about ‘what consultation is’? Residents often feel that the decisions go ahead regardless of what is feedback.

 

Cllr Peter Turner felt that the Council need to build relationships with the local communities and good consultation is good means of delivering this.

 

Roger Driver explained that rules are set out nationally on what needs to be done when consulting on statutory duties. Having a memorandum of understanding in place will help the entire parties involved feel included.

 

Penny McKissock commented that the Sure Start discussions which took place in 2002 left a legacy in South West Bath this was due to the methods that were used.

 

Nicolette Boater thanked Cllr. Myers for his presentation. She agreed that stakeholder engagement is an integral part of effective governance and decision making and respectful, trusting, collaborative, relationships is critical to this. She would like to support a more robust and transparent consultation framework being developed.

Cllr Joe Rayment commented that the Council holds elections every four years to give a mandate for elected members to make decisions; these offer an opportunity for a co-production of ideas to take place.

 

Cllr Jasper Becker explained that the idea of referendums is something we could see more of in Bath. Switzerland is a good example of somewhere that conducts lots of local referendums.

 

Responses from Cllr Myers:

  • Now is the time to work collaboratively.
  • We need to work out what dialogue is needed when a consensus is not reached.
  • There are sometimes strong views within our communities.
  • A plan is required that involves all of the connecting community forums, the 3SG and as many different people as possible, this needs to include difficult to reach groups.

 

Virginia Williamson thanked Cllr Myers for his presentation.