The North East’s largest council is asking the public to help it decide how to save a further £29million next year.
Over the past five years Durham County Council has already reduced spending by more than £180million, with residents and businesses playing a key role in helping shape where cuts should be made. Today (September 5) it has launched the latest public consultation exercise with a call for as many people as possible to take part.
For the next five weeks people can have their say online at www.durham.gov.uk/budget , pick up a questionnaire from one of the eight Customer Access Points, pre-register to attend one of the council’s Area Action Partnership (AAP) meetings across the county or come along to one of the road shows which aim to bring the proposals to as many outside venues as possible.
A dedicated area of the website www.durham.gov.uk/budget and #budget on the council @DurhamCouncil twitter feed will keep people up to date with all the opportunities and an in-house animation has been produced to try and reach new audiences which may not have participated before.
Leader, Cllr Simon Henig, says understanding the public’s priorities is vital: “Government grants have reduced over the past five years by nearly half and continuing to find such unprecedented savings inevitably means tremendously tough decisions.
“From the very beginning of austerity we have asked the public to help us set priorities and many thousands of people have taken part. It is important that we understand how those priorities may have changed so once again we are turning to our residents, partners and businesses for their help.
“By continuing to look for new and wider opportunities to talk to people we hope to get the public’s views on how we have done so far, what they think of our proposals for the future and to explain how communities or local organisations can help as our budgets continue to reduce.”
Anyone wanting to attend one of the AAP meetings must pre-register by contacting the AAP:
Tuesday, 6 September East Durham Rural Corridor AAP, Trimdon Village Hall
Email eastdurhamruralaap@durham.gov.uk
Wednesday 7, September Four Together AAP, Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College
Email fouraap@durham.gov.uk
Thursday, 8 September Three Towns AAP, Crook Civic Centre
Email threetownsaap@durham.gov.uk
Monday 12, September Stanley AAP, Stanley Civic Hall
Email stanleyaap@durham.gov.uk
Wednesday, 14 September East Durham AAP, Hazelwell Centre, Haswell
Email eastdurhamaap@durham.gov.uk
Wednesday, 14 September Mid Durham AAP, Hamsteels Community Centre, Esh Winning
Email middurhamaap@durham.gov.uk
Wednesday, 14 September Teesdale AAP, Hamsterley Village Hall
Email tap@durham.gov.uk
Tuesday, 20 September Durham AAP, Durham Town Hall
Email dcaap@durham.gov.uk
Thursday, 22 September Bishop Auckland and Shildon AAP, Civic Hall, Shildon
Email bishopshildonaap@durham.gov.uk
Thursday, 22 September Weardale AAP, Durham Dales Centre, Stanhope
Email weardaleaap@durham.gov.uk
Thursday, 22 September Spennymoor AAP, Kirk Merrington Village Hall, near Spennymoor
Email spennyaap@durham.gov.uk
Monday 26, September Chester-le- Street AAP, Parish Centre, Chester-le- Street
Email Chester-le- streetaap@durham.gov.uk
Tuesday 27, September Great Aycliffe & Middridge AAP, Middridge Village Hall near Newton Aycliffe
Email gampaap@durham.gov.uk
Wednesday 28, September Derwent Valley AAP, Consett Salvation Army Hall
Email dvaap@durham.gov.uk
Information on the savings proposals for future savings and the many ways the public can participate in the consultation can be found at www.durham.gov.uk/budget
The consultation begins on September 5 and runs until October 7.