Redbridge i creates a new platform and new
opportunities for the council to engage with citizens in a more
direct and immediate way. The new site also provides a range
of facilities that may help the council meet some of the
implications of the DCLG White Paper (26/10/06) – ‘ Strong &
Prosperous Communities. These include:
- Responsive services and empowered
communities – including a ‘community call for action’ across local
public services and the duty for councils to consult.
- Reinforcing local government as strategic
leader and place-shaper – including a duty for Local Area Agreement
(LAA) partners to cooperate
- Promoting efficiency in transforming local services – enabling
services to be designed around the user
- Encouraging a clear focus on community cohesion.
We are currently exploring a range of options
to establish closer links between the discussion forums, blogs,
online consultation applications and the scrutiny and
area committee decision-making processes.
The discussion forums are already beginning to
have an impact on our approach to policy formulation and service
improvement. A recent discussion topic on how the council
should allocate next year’s budget received 3,343 viewings and the
postings have added depth and qualitative resonance to our linked
online consultation exercise.
In a similar vein, the forums are creating a
valuable stream of intelligence around citizen priorities for their
neighbourhoods that are helping to shape our approach to the work
of our area and scrutiny committees.