Consultation over budget proposals - still time to have your say

WITH just a week to go until Darlington Borough Council’s budget consultation ends, time is running out for local residents and organisations to have their say on the proposals. The public consultation – among the most comprehensive in the authority’s history – ends on Tuesday 31 May.

Thousands of people have already given their views on the proposals that will see the Council removing £10.2m from its budget by 2020 - having already achieved savings of around £30m since 2010.

The consultation has included two public meetings at the Dolphin Centre – attended by an estimated 800 people - and specific events to discuss the library proposals. Council leader Bill Dixon and other members of the Cabinet have met directly with dozens of groups and individuals who are impacted by the proposals.

Many people have sent letters or emails with their comments, or used the online form on the Council’s budget microsite to give their opinions. The microsite at www.darlington.gov.uk/budget has been updated throughout the consultation period to include frequently asked questions on the proposals. The Have Your Say tab on the microsite gives access to an online form where people can submit their views.

Councillor Bill Dixon, Leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: “The consultation has stirred up deep feeling amongst local people and rightly so. As a council, we do not want to make these cuts but we have no choice.

“We want to make sure that everyone who wants to get involved has had their say on these proposals. I want to thank those people and organisations that have taken the time to comment on the proposals up to this point and urge those who have not yet done so to come forward with their views.

“All the comments and feedback will be used to finalise the proposals, however it is sadly not as simple as removing what people do not like. We need to see alternatives; so that if one proposal is removed from the budget, it will need to be replaced with something else that saves the same amount of money.” 

Once the consultation period ends, responses will be collated and the budget proposals – including any late amendments – will be discussed at a Special Cabinet meeting on 22 June. The Special Cabinet meeting will be held in the council chamber to enable members of the public to attend to observe the meeting. The Cabinet will then agree the final version of the proposals which will be put forward for final approval at a Special Full Council meeting on 29 June. Implementation will begin from 30 June with some changes being made quickly and others taking longer to put in place.