Stratford-on-Avon District Council's budget consultation results

 Stratford-on-Avon District Council recently undertook a budget consultation exercise to help inform the District Council's budget for the next financial year.

Highlights include:

• 85% of respondents thought the District Council offered Value for Money with a Council Tax of £139.12 for a Band D property. This is four points lower than the previous year.
  
  
• 63% of respondents agree that 'it is important for the District Council to maintain current levels of service, even if this means increasing council tax by more than £5 a year.'
  
  
• Residents would most like to see an increase in the CCTV and Crime Reduction provision.
  
  
• Residents would most like to see a decrease in the provision of Local Economy and Tourism Promotion.
  
  
• Financial support for the Fred Winter project (72%) was first choice for residents out of the new budget proposals, followed by funding for a Climate Change Strategy (53%).
  
  
• 64% of respondents felt the quality of Council services was good overall. 

Cllr Tony Jefferson, Leader of Stratford-on-Avon District Council says: "The results make interesting reading and support many of our initiatives.

"We are now completing the investment in the CCTV system which reflects the top priority of residents being CCTV and Crime Prevention. We are also pleased that our financial support for the Fred Winter Project and Climate Change Strategy Funding is supported. We will also have to spend money on the waste Contract Renewal and the Core Strategy Review. There are some areas where choices are constrained.

"The financial pressures we are under appear to be intensifying, which has meant that we have had to take some difficult decisions this year."

455 questionnaires were returned from 997 residents surveyed on the District Council's Citizens' Panel in January/February 2020, representing a response rate of 46.1%.

The District Council is expecting significant reductions in government grant over the next few years and the information from this survey will help the District Council prioritise its services.