RESIDENTS are being asked to voice their opinion on the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s draft action plan to improve services.

The council’s decision-making cabinet agreed in a meeting on Tuesday, November 8, that a consultation should be carried out for the draft plan, and is asking residents to have their say on ensuring Basingstoke is a place where people can live happily and the environment is protected and enhanced.

The new council plan for 2023 to 2027 will guide the key things the council will focus on. It sets priorities to make Basingstoke and Deane a place where people can live well and the environment can flourish, while ensuring the council provides value-for-money services for residents.

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Speaking at the cabinet meeting, council leader Simon Bound said the council has already started the consultation with deputy leader Cllr John Izet and himself speaking to public sector partners, small-medium-sized businesses and large corporates.

"The draft doesn't include everything we do. We have over 300 service lines and it is difficult to articulate everything and it is important that we focus on our priorities.

"We have three priorities. It's really key as a borough we remain a place where people can live well, even with the pressures of cost of living; where the environment can flourish; and have front-line services that offer services of value-for-money and high quality.

"The plan outlines the actions we would take to achieve these priorities."

Cllr Izet said: “As the council plans go, this version is unusually clear and concise with key priorities outlines. I think it will enable us to monitor performance very well over next four years.

“I look forward to receiving the feedback from residents and stakeholders. It will act as an ongoing reminder and route map for councillors and officers in the years ahead.”

Meanwhile, the council said the draft plan has been drawn up based on feedback from a residents’ survey that showed a 93-per-cent satisfaction level with the borough as a place to live.

The independent survey showed that clean and safe streets are among the things that make most difference to people.

The council said the survey results showed 75 per cent of respondents feel the council is well run and 59 per cent agree that it provides good value for money – higher than the South East average and national averages.

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The final version of the council plan is set to be agreed in February 2023, alongside the budget that will fund it.

Consultation on the draft council plan and budget, which runs until Monday, January 2, 2023, has now gone live at basingstoke.gov.uk/councilconsult2023.