Summer survey opens

Residents can now tell Redditch Borough Council’s decision-makers their priorities in the first of a new series of short seasonal surveys.

The new-style surveys ask residents for their views on a few highly focused questions, four times a year. That’s a change to previous years, where one long annual survey asked about everything.

The responses people give to the survey go to borough councillors and officers to help set the authority’s priorities and plans.

Redditch Borough Council’s portfolio holder for Performance, Cllr Jane Spilsbury, said: “These surveys are about more than simply listening. We are always listening, but these surveys create a piece of real evidence for how people feel about key issues.

“For example, take the question ‘what are the main reasons why you would visit parks and open spaces in the borough’. Responses we get to that question will actively inform our council plan and, in turn, help us plan our next park improvements. I encourage everyone to take five minutes to respond to the surveys and have your input into that process.”

Each of the short quarterly surveys will focus on a specific topic, including your local area, borough budgets and priorities, and the key issues facing the current year.

Council Leader, Cllr Joe Baker, added: “Actively engaging with people in Redditch is important for the council to understand how people feel about important things. It ensures that what we do continues to reflect the views of the community and as part of that, I hope people will find these quick quarterly surveys easy to respond to.”

The survey is one way the council formally engages with the community across the borough, and its results feed into the Council Plan - the central plan that helps councillors and officers set the council’s direction as an organisation.

The Redditch Borough Places Survey Summer 2024 is now open for responses until Monday September 30. It’s available at www.redditchbc.gov.uk/consultations, and paper copies are available from the council’s customer services at 5 George Walk in the Kingfisher Shopping Centre.

For more information, contact the council’s Engagement, Equalities and Policy team.