How we’re performing so far
As part of our pledge to deliver more transparent services and put residents at the heart of everything we do, we have made further progress towards a Fairer Council this quarter. In November, we launched our first Youth Voice Summit, with members of the Youth Council and our Cabinet Members and Executive Directors. They discussed issues that matter most to young people and our senior leaders reflected on how they consider the voices of young residents in the council's decision-making.
We also launched our new resident consultation platform, Common Place, in October 2023. Residents can now more easily give feedback on our proposed changes. We currently have 14 projects on the site, including active consultations and many more set to launch in the coming months.
Below we have highlighted other ways we have delivered during October to December this year*. Although progress continues to be made, we know there is still work to do as we deliver our Fairer Westminster strategy.
(* based on the latest positions available at the end of December 2023)
Resident involvement
Our aim is to improve how we listen to residents and incorporate their views into our decision making...
Every year, we conduct a City Survey of residents in Westminster, face-to-face with independent researchers, to learn about their attitudes to their local area, the council, and council services. Our 2022 survey found that 70% of residents feel involved in decisions in their local area, up from 49% in 2021. This is a significant increase, and we are committed to ensuring that all residents have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives. The increase in resident involvement is a positive step, and we will continue to work to make sure that everyone has a say. To get involved please see our Consultation Hub.
Staying informed
Our aim is to make sure residents are not only listened to but kept up to date with the actions we’re taking...
Our 2022 City Survey also found that 71% of residents feel informed about plans for their local area, up from 59% in 2021. This is a positive improvement, and we will continue to work to ensure residents are informed on what’s happening in their local area.
76% of residents also told us that they feel informed about council services and benefits, up from 60% in 2021. This is a significant increase, and above the Local Government Association’s national average. We will continue to work to ensure residents feel informed about the services and benefits available to them.
We are committed to being open and transparent and making information on our progress more accessible to everyone. This way you can always see how we’re doing on delivering a Fairer Westminster. The above is just one of the ways we’re measuring how we’re building a Fairer Council. You can also find out more at our Open Data page and by reading our Fairer Westminster Delivery Plan (see below).