Scrutiny Review Program: 2003-2004
Past Reviews:
Strengthening Local Democracy
“Can I influence the Council’s decision that affect me?”
“Is it important to vote at local elections?”
“How accessible do you think the councillors are in general?”
These are just a few of the questions that made up part of a consultation exercise that sought to ascertain the degree to which Canterbury’s residents feel involved in the decisions the Council takes. This information will be used to come up with new ways of getting residents involved in the decision making process and hopefully unearth new ways of consulting with local residents.
Strengthening Local Democracy . [pdf document]
Parish Contributions
The Canterbury district has 26 parish councils operating within its territory, which accounts for 30% of the population. There are 3 unparished areas: Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay.
The 26 parish councils in the district are independent bodies that are elected every four years. They provide a range of services to their communities, some of which are paid for by a surcharge on the council tax. The rest of their income comes from the Canterbury City Council reimburses the parishes for services provided by them which would otherwise be provided by the council. The services covered by this scheme are:
- Recreation grounds
- Street lighting
- Burial grounds
- Village halls
- Litter
- Footpaths; and
- Bus shelters
This review arose due to concerns over whether the scheme was proceeding in a fair manner, especially since financing of the scheme has been reduced in the medium term financial strategy adopted in 2000.
Parish Contributions . [pdf document]
Christmas Lights
Canterbury City Council provides Christmas lights for Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay each and every year. There happened to be a degree of concern that the quality of the lights provided is not of a satisfactory standard, and questioned if they should be improved. Councillors serving the Herne Bay area were particularly concerned with the state of repair and design of the lights in that area, and there seemed to be a general feeling that the issue of Christmas lighting was not taken seriously by the Council.
The 5 Area Members Panels (staffed by members from their areas) were consulted as to their experiences, as where eight other local authorities, and a visit to the Faversham and Maidstone Christmas lights.
Christmas Lights . [pdf document]
Exit Strategies
It is recognised that external funding arrangements make an important contribution to service delivery, and that the council has delivered many positive outcomes for local people using such funds. However, there has been some concern over a lack of an appraisal function assessing the budgetary and other implications on entering into such arrangements. Indeed there were concerns over a lack of strategic guidance on what is to be considered when entering into partnerships.
Consequently a review was sought to investigate past projects to identify any on-going liabilities that the council may incur from it’s partnerships, projects or programmes; and finally to make sure that there are checks and balances to ensure that future liabilities are minimised.
Exit Strategies . [pdf document]
