Published: Friday 26 June 2026
Residents are being asked to help shape the future of Council services as we launch a consultation on our new four-year Council Plan.
The six-week consultation will help inform the Council’s priorities through to 2030, ensuring resources are focused on the services residents value most while responding to growing demand and significant financial challenges. You can complete the survey on our consultation portal.
The challenge
We are in a very different place to where we were four years ago. We are facing a big increase in demand for our services. We are also losing more than £100 million in funding over the next four years due to central Government cuts.
This means we have to start doing things differently if we are to meet these challenges.
We will need to make difficult choices about where we focus funding and what we prioritise. These difficult choices will include balancing a reduction in services against potential council tax increases. We will also be making it easier for residents to do more for themselves.
Our commitment
The Council was elected on a commitment to protect and maintain the services that matter most to you. We therefore remain committed to the four Conservative manifesto priorities:
- Clean streets and amazing spaces
- Value for money
- Getting the basics right
- Making your life easier
We still need to hear from you about where you want us to focus our efforts. There are no easy choices.
A key part of this consultation is working with residents to co-design a Resident Pact. This pact will outline the Council commitments and resident commitments so we can achieve our shared vision for the borough.
Leader of the Council encourages survey participation
Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, leader of the Council, said:
“Our new Council Plan will be central to everything we do over the next four years including how we work together with our partners and the community. We want this plan to be shaped by our residents right from the outset.
“We were elected to get the basics done well, to deliver clean streets and amazing spaces, ensure value for money as well as offer accessible services with proper support. However, as we are facing a reduction in funding of £108 million gap in our budget due to central Government cuts, so we have some difficult choices to make. We are going to need to streamline how we work, become more efficient and make the services that we offer simpler.”
She added: “This consultation will help us to establish where our priorities lie, where the difficult decisions are and how we will take them. I urge as many people as possible to take part in this consultation. We need to hear from you.”
Where do you come in?
You have until Sunday 9 August to give us your views. It takes just 10 minutes. Your feedback will help us to produce a Council Plan that we’re committed to delivering together.
What next?
Your feedback will directly feed into the new Council Plan, which we will publish in the autumn.
Once we have looked at the feedback, we will share what we heard and explain how your views have influenced our decisions.
Want more information?
If you have any questions or would like the survey in an alternative format such as print or another language, please email [email protected]