Cabinet announces plans for bigger say for neighbourhoods

Release Date:  08-Sep-2009

Plans to give a bigger say to Bristol people have been announced by Bristol City Council cabinet.

Decisions on local services such as community safety, street cleaning and park maintenance will be taken at a local level by elected councillors with input from local people having a real say in how these are to be funded and managed.

Council leader Barbara Janke said: "This is a fundamental change in the way the council works. We are moving from a highly centralised system to one which puts the decisions that affect people's lives as close as possible to local communities.

"We believe local people know what is best for their needs and that better decisions will be taken with better services as a result."

As part of a radical change in policy to make the council more responsive to local people, Bristol City Council will start the process of establishing local budgets for existing partnerships and will expand these with a phased approach over a period of time.

The whole process will be open and transparent and local people will be at the heart of what the council does.

Barbara Janke added: "There will be many challenges to get this right. But with the support of Bristol people we will make this work."
 

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