Council Leader meets community groups to discuss future direction of the Borough

August 31, 2015 by Southend Borough Council

Council Leader meets community groups to discuss future direction of the Borough

Tuesday 1 September 2015

Community groups are meeting the Leader of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and quizzing him about his vision for the future direction of the Borough.

Cllr Ron Woodley will be attending a series of events between now and Christmas, aimed at informing local people about the challenges facing the Council and seeking their views on how the authority should deal with ever tightening finances. Further events will take also take place in 2016, with dates and venues to be announced at a later date.

Feedback from these sessions will be used when the Council considers budget setting for 2016/17 which is going to prove yet another challenging year, on top of five years of budget reductions.

Cllr Woodley said: “One of the most important – and indeed one of the most challenging – parts of my role as Leader, is to understand what people need and expect from their authority and to balance these priorities against our resources.

“When I’ve attended events like these in the past, many people are surprised by the huge breadth of services that the Council provides – from looking after vulnerable people, to maintaining highways, running library services, and supporting business - and the costs involved.

“But one thing is clear. Councils will receive less funding each year but still be expected to maintain or improve services. We constantly have to find new and innovative ways of delivering more for less in order to adequately meet the needs of local people.

“These events are my way of engaging with large numbers of people from the community, many with specific needs and interests, and I hope as many as possible will come along to share their views.”

The following events are scheduled to take place between September and Christmas. Only the Leigh Town Council event is public. The other events are with membership organisations and contact should be made with the relevant groups if you are interested in attending. If you are a member of a local community group or similar and you would like the Leader to attend one of your future meetings please contact Kelly Clarke, Senior Community Relations Advisor, on kellyclarke@southend.gov.uk .