Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Head of Environmental and Community Health Services on the outcome of two participatory budgeting pilots held recently in Huntingdonshire.

Agreed that further evaluation of the effectiveness of the two participatory budget initiatives be undertaken to include a breakdown of the costs involved, with a view to a report being considered at a future meeting and  that officers be requested to investigate with partners the level of funding they are prepared to commit to participatory budgeting and into what areas they feel it should be allocated.

By way of a report by the Head of Environmental and Community Health Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet were acquainted with the findings of two participatory budgeting pilots undertaken in the Huntingdon North and Eynesbury Wards.

Members were reminded that the Government's recent community empowerment directions included encouragement that authorities should undertake some form of participatory budgeting by 2012.  The approach is believed to give people more of a direct stake in local governance and increase levels of civic and community participation and action.  The events had been successful in distributing a total of £120,000 of funding from the County and District Councils and Luminus Homes Group to community based agencies and statutory services offering community services.  Having considered the potential for expanding participatory budgeting in the future and in particular issues relating to the role of the Neighbourhood Forums/Panels and the financial implications for the authority, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  (a)  that the contents of the report now submitted be noted;

  (b)  that further evaluation of the effectiveness of the two participatory budget initiatives be undertaken to include a breakdown of the costs involved, with a view to a report being considered at a future meeting; and

  (c)  that officers be requested to investigate with partners the level of funding they are prepared to commit to participatory budgeting and into what areas they feel it should be allocated.