Participate Panel Feedback

Below you can find out about all the research and engagement activities the Participate Panel have been involved in, including the findings from them once available and how the feedback is being used by the Council to support key areas of work.

A small sample of the Participate Panel were invited to attend two focus groups (known as Strategy Room sessions), to help understand local people’s views on Climate issues relating to housing, transport and food.

These sessions formed part of a wider engagement exercise. The feedback received has been used to help draft the Council’s Climate Emergency Response Plan 2025-2030.

A consultation on this will take place in the Winter of 2024.

More details about the engagement and feedback from these focus groups can be found here.

The Panel was invited to take part in the Local Transport Plan engagement, to help understand local people’s views on the current transport network, challenges for transport in the borough and the Council’s proposed approach to the future of transport in west Cheshire.

Findings from this engagement are currently being analysed and your feedback will be used to develop a draft Local Transport Plan for consultation. More details about the engagement and how to stay up to date can be found here.

‘Join the Conversation’ was the Council’s engagement to prepare the next Borough Plan – a vision and goals for west Cheshire for 2024-28.

The Panel was invited to take part in several key stages of work – from shaping how the engagement with the wider public could be undertaken, to views on the issues that most impact on local residents.

Key activities supported by the Participate Panel include:

• A discussion group with a sample of Panel members on issues affecting local residents and how the Council should engage with the wider public on the Borough Plan
• ‘Your Priorities’ – a Panel-only survey focussing on key issues affecting quality of life in west Cheshire, to compliment the findings of the ‘Join the Conversation’ engagement
• The ‘Join the Conversation’ engagement, where respondents could use an interactive map and ideas boards to share their views and help the Council understand the key strengths, challenges and opportunities in the borough
• The ‘Join the Conversation’ consultation, where respondents could comment on priority themes for the Plan, that had been shaped by engagement feedback, to help ensure that the approach to working together and improving our communities and services is right for west Cheshire.

A report summarising feedback on the proposed priorities and approach, alongside findings from early engagement, can be found here.

The Borough Plan, ‘Play your part towards a stronger future’, can be found here.

The Panel was invited to take part in this year’s budget consultation ‘Funding our future’ to help ensure that the Council's budget approach reflects the views of local people. Respondents could take part in a budget simulator challenge to tell us how they would set the budget, as well as share views on the Council’s proposed approach to setting the budget, including suggestions of how to save money and raise income.

A consultation feedback report, summarising findings and how the Council is responding to key messages, can be found here.

As part of a recruitment drive, members of the Panel were asked to join Cheshire West’s new Age-friendly Network and help lead the way in making the borough somewhere everyone can live life to the full for longer.

Over 50 volunteers have now joined the Network.

A workshop is being held in February where volunteers will find out more about the Age-friendly Network and the priorities identified to help make Cheshire West more age-friendly. The volunteers will then form groups that will start to look at how they can work with partners to address these priorities and make the borough a place where people of all ages are treated with respect and older adults feel included and valued.

The Panel was invited to take part in this year’s budget consultation ‘Choices in challenging times’ to help ensure that the Council's priorities and budget reflect local peoples’ views. Respondents could share their views on the Council’s budget proposals to meet the financial challenge and make their own suggestions to save money and raise income, as well as take part in a budget simulator challenge.

The consultation findings can be found here alongside the Council’s response to the key messages from the consultation.

Discussion groups were carried out with a sample of Participate Panel members to understand the key messages from the ‘Our Place’ surveys. Discussions focused on what makes a local area a good place to live, what creates a good sense of community and what is important to do well to be a good council.

Key findings from the discussion groups and feedback on how the Council is responding can be found here. The ‘Our Place’ survey and discussion group findings will be invaluable in helping the Council improve the local area and ensure services meet residents’ needs.

The Panel were invited to take part in a borough wide consultation to help inform the development of a new Accommodation and Support Strategy, to help those aged fifty-five and over live safely and age well within their local communities and own homes.

We are analysing all the feedback received and will share the results here as soon as they are available alongside the final strategy.