Public vote on spending

Nov 28 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal

PEOPLE in Northumberland will be asked to take part in an X Factor-style public vote to decide how £60,000 of community cash should be spent.

Wansbeck has been chosen as one of 12 areas across the country to pilot a Government scheme which aims to involve local residents more closely in how public money is spent on key priorities in their area.

Everyone in the district will be given the chance to nominate a community project to compete for a share of a £60,000 pot being made available by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Then – just as in hit TV shows like X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing – local people will vote to decide the winners from the projects bidding to share the cash.

The Government wants to see the pilot scheme, dubbed ‘communities kitties’, rolled out to every area of the country by 2012 to directly involve local people in decision-making on public spending.

It is a process that opens up opportunities for residents to help prioritise the needs of their communities by debating what services or projects should be supported with a given amount of funding.

In Wansbeck, the next stage is to invite bids from residents, voluntary and community organisations, schools and individuals for community projects which they feel should have a share of the funding.

Broadly, schemes must make communities safer, greener or stronger to stand a chance of success. Those that make it through the initial sifting process will go forward to a special event in February.

Their backers will get the chance to put their cases to an audience of other bidders, who will decide, using electronic voting pads, which ones will get a share of the £60,000 fund.

Bill Gale, of the Wansbeck Council for Voluntary Service (WCVS), said: “Participatory budgeting is a new and novel way of spending public money by giving more people a direct say in determining what projects and priorities are deserving of support in their own communities.

“Local people will be deciding where it is best to spend some of their public money and this is a real chance for everyone in Wansbeck to engage in the democratic process in an entirely new way. The voting day itself promises to be an exciting event.”

Wansbeck You Decide application forms will be available from the WCVS from December 1 by calling (01670) 858688 or emailing network@wansbeckcvs.org.uk. The deadline for returning completed forms is January 9.