Participatory budgeting event
In 2006, Salford City Council made a decision to devolve decision making for the allocation of £100,000 of highways funding (Block 3 Transport capital - ‘Other Minor Works’) to each of the eight community committees in the city.
In May 2007 a Participatory Budgeting pilot was held in the Claremont / Weaste area of the city to decide how to spend the money for that area. The participatory budgeting event aimed to increase the number of local residents directly involved in the allocation of a devolved highways budget. The process aimed to identify schemes which are important to local people and which meet the criteria for the specific budget. It then aimed to let local residents prioritise those schemes directly through an open scoring process. Those priorities would then direct expenditure of the funds.
Potential schemes for funding are generated through various means: via local councillors; by email shots; through attendance at residents’, etc group meetings; through direct approaches from residents.
Potential schemes are then briefly assessed by a highways engineer, who provides a comment on viability of the scheme, a rough scheme design and an estimated cost.
Viable schemes costing £100,000 or less are then presented in large print format, with photograph at PB events.
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Transcript from Participatory Budgeting Event
Kezia
Lavan:
“We’re here to observe the process and carry out research into different
models of Participatory Budgeting that are developing around the country. Salford’s a particularly interesting
example because it’s the first local authority that’s used mainstream funding in this way. They are
the first local authority that has enabled local citizens to make decisions directly about the services
that affect them through deciding what money should be spent on which projects”
Stephen
Lee:
“I think it’s an excellent idea, the whole point of devolving the budget to
Community Committee was to allow local residents to make decisions about what are in effect local issues.
Hopefully it will run very well, certainly with the organisation that has been put into it. It’s an
experiment in as much it’s never been done in Salford before but hopefully everything should be ok.”
Brian
Downes:
“I’ve come here tonight because it’s an opportunity to get involved in
spending some money to improve the road safety aspect in the community. I think it’s a good idea because
it gives you the chance to go round and see the schemes then you get the chance to vote for whichever
one you want to and vote for all the others as well, every scheme that’s been proposed”
Lorna
Leaston:
“I think it’s just such a good idea because it’s basically local residents
who know what they want and what’s needed in the local area. All of these priorities have been identified
by local residents as things that need doing in the local neighbourhood so I think it’s just such a
good idea for people to vote on that and for it to be a fair and democratic process.”
Mick
Walbank:
“Hopefully this is just the start tonight and we will go on to have more
money spent this way and more people will hear about it and get involved in years to come. I have been
really pleased with how it’s gone tonight. I think people had time but I think maybe some people would
have liked a little bit more information and that’s something maybe we need to work on for next year
if we do it again which I think we will. But I’ve enjoyed it and it’s given more people a say. There
was certainly a fair spread when you look at the things that came top. They weren’t all in one place
so I’m fairly happy with the spread. I’ve been really pleased; it’s a bit like throwing a party something
like this. You are worried that it might be a disaster but I think it’s been a successful first try
at Participatory Budgeting in Salford and I hope it can go from strength to strength.”
This page was last updated on 04 February 2009
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