Budget consultation 2009
| Purpose | To obtain an indication of the service areas that residents believe should be budget priorities for the coming years; and to obtain an understanding of what residents perceive to be an acceptable level of increase in Council Tax for 2010/2011. |
|---|---|
| Subject |
Budget and council priorities |
| Commissioned by | Corporate Research and Intelligence Team, Policy Unit |
| Geographic area |
All of Lancashire |
|---|---|
| Method |
Questionnaire - postal |
| Consultation with |
Life in Lancashire panel |
| Date | 18/11/2009 - 11/12/2009 |
| Undertaken by | Corporate Research and Intelligence Team, Policy Unit |
Results
| Number in sample | 2785 |
|---|---|
| Number of responses | 1957 |
| Response rate | 70% |
| Key findings | Services for older people (53%), primary and secondary education (46%) and crime prevention (38%) are seen as the highest priorities for spending in the next year. These were also the top priorities in 2008 and 2007. Museums are seen as the service that should be the lowest spending priority (48%), which was also the lowest priority for spending in 2008. Country parks, open spaces and picnic sites and welfare rights are seen as the next lowest priorities (34% and 30% respectively). A third of the panel thought that the council should make no increase in Council Tax, with the consequence of significantly reducing service levels, which is in line with the county council's proposals. Only two-fifths of the panel say they would be prepared to pay a 3% or more increase in Council Tax (39%). |
| Outcomes | The findings of the research were presented to councillors to assist them with their decision making about the budget and priorities for the coming year. |
Project document(s)
Report(s)
Contact information
For more information about this research contact:
Rebecca Robinson
01772 537787
rebecca.robinson@lancashire.gov.uk
Mick Edwardson
01772 530290
mick.edwardson@lancashire.gov.uk
Email: haveyoursay@lancashire.gov.uk