Only 400 take part in budget survey

An online means of gauging public views on how Stirling Council will shape its next budget attracted just 400 responses including five from a councillor who was just trying it out.

Officers at a meeting of the council’s audit committee last Thursday agreed with councillors that the level of response was too low to help formulate any decisions.

And committee chair, Tory councillor Neil Benny, said he reckoned at least five of the responses must have been his alone.

“In previous years we have had large public consultation events that gave us signficant information about what the public think,” he said. “We had 400 people responding to the budget simulator - and I was responsible for five of them just because I was playing about to see how it worked.”

Chief finance officer Jim Boyle said it had been the first time the simulator tool had been tried out, previous years having seen methods such as the ‘Big Conversation’ being run, and social media numbers also having been “significantly in excess of that”.

Tory councillor Martin Earl said the number who responded to the budget simulator was so low it was “not statistically valid” and received assurances from officers that conclusions would not be drawn purely from those responses.

He added: “We don’t have proposals or initiatives so it’s very difficult to engage with people when we are not going out saying ‘this is what is being suggested’.”

In recent months the opposition Tory group has criticised the council’s SNP/ Labour administration for their apparent reluctance to indicate potential options which could be considered for budget savings or income generation in the 2020/21 budget, due to be set in around a month’s time.

Council leader, SNP councillor Scott Farmer, has previously said he does not want to see options released to the public which might create concern.

However, chief finance officer Mr Boyle has said such options may need to be raised regardless given budget pressures on the council, which is looking to save at least £32 million over the next five years.

Councillor Benny said he appreciated delays in the announcement of budget settlements nationally had had a knock on effect, but added: “In previous years something would come out in October and we would be able to scrutinise the options and ask communities whether we should we shut this particular thing or reshape another thing.

“Now we are getting that work just before the budget.”

Mr Boyle added: “Officers have been working on options. When they are ready, they could be released [to councillors] hopefully in advance of the budget papers if that would help, and I can give an assurance that when the [national] budget settlement is published on February 6 there will be a detailed briefing for elected members as always.”