Budget consultation results published

Residents’ views on the City of Cardiff Council’s budget consultation have been gathered up and analysed and will be debated by the Cabinet before they bring their final budget proposal to Full Council in February. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Views submitted on the Council’s budget proposals during a consultation event at Rhydypennau Library. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

3,348 residents filled in the questionnaire, giving their opinions on the proposals that were put forward. This included cuts to the Arts, changes to Children’s Play, Day Services and increasing the issuing of fixed penalty notices around littering and traffic offences, as well as a number of other topics. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The consultation ran for more than four weeks and included 20 community engagement events, a youth council event, an online questionnaire, a video, social media promotion and hard copy questionnaires distributed across the city. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Graham Hinchey, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Performance, said: “The budget consultation has been very helpful, as we can work with the public on what they want to see as the Council’s priorities. A clear 88% of those who responded recognise that a budget gap means difficult choices are required. This sets the tone to the budget, as we make best use of the money available and explore new and innovative ways to deliver council services.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Exploring new ways of working was also welcomed by those who responded with 76% endorsing this approach. The key findings of the consultation for each service area are shown below: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Social Care:90% of those who responded were in favour of an early intervention approach, focussing on prevention rather than reactive services. 87.3% agreed to support individuals to access community facilities to live independently, 82.4% agreed to continue the Meals on Wheels Service, with over 61.4% agreeing to the increase of £1 per meal. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Schools:57.9% supported the proposal to increase school budgets by £9.5m and 72% supported an increase in the cost of school meals by 10p. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Children’s Play:53.3% agreed with the new model proposed for Play Services. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Arts Active:Just under half of those who responded (47.9%) support the proposal to cease funding, with 28% opposing, while over half agreed to cease funding for the Artes Mundi (54.9%) and Cardiff Singer of the World (50.1%) ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Community Safety:74.6% support the Council to seek alternative funding for community safety activities, while 88% believe that the private sector should financially contribute to the management of the night time economy. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Bereavement & births, deaths and marriages:52.8% supported a 10% increase in burial or cremation fees, while 66.5% agreed with increasing the cost of marriage services by 20%. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Commercialisation:In each of the service areas covered, there was support for increasing commercialism. The highest responses were in Transport (65.5%); Leisure & Culture (62.3%) and Recycling and Waste (60.5%), while support lessened in areas such as libraries (49%) and Education (41.1%). ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Environment:88.5% supported further enforcement activities and increased fines for those who offend, with respondents having the greatest awareness for dog fouling (87.6%) and littering (85.3%). 71.5% were satisfied with the Pollinator Project (wild flowers), with just under 70% supporting different grounds maintenance regimes. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Parking and Traffic Enforcement:43.1% were either ‘very satisfied’ or ‘fairly satisfied’ with increased enforcement to date, but more respondents – 59.6% – supported the extension of enforcement into new areas of Cardiff. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Hinchey said: “The results are very interesting and have been analysed in some detail. The Cabinet will now debate the findings In line with the proposals put forward and we will consider them alongside the views and opinions of other stakeholders affected by the budget proposals. All of this will help to inform our decisions moving forward.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​