The results of a six-week-long survey open to all Mid Devon residents were discussed by the Council’s Cabinet this month.

The resident and budget survey ran throughout November and into December, with more than 1,400 residents completing the questionnaire.

Results from the survey have been used to feed into the Council’s budget setting process and will be used to help steer future plans and the prioritising of services.

This year questions include topics such as climate change and dealing with economic pressures, as well as listening to how communities feel about current service provision and where the Council can improve.

Chief Executive, Stephen Walford, said:

“I want to express my gratitude to everyone who took the time to share their views with us. It is essential for us to understand issues that are important to our communities and ensure funding is directed at areas they identify as priorities. This year in particular has been a challenging backdrop as increasing energy and material prices affects how much it costs to run various Council services. However, the views of residents as captured by this type of survey really do help inform the work of the Council and the decisions taken by elected members on strategic priorities both now and in the future.”

Each year the Council has to balance its spending against money available in the form of Government Grants, Council Tax and Business Rates. Over the last decade the Council has secured and delivered significant savings, whilst continuing to deliver key services. Set against a challenging financial backdrop the Council has managed to set a balanced budget for 2023/24.

The Council’s Cabinet met earlier this month (7 March 2023) to discuss the findings of the survey and a summary of the results is now available. Individual Cabinet members will now work with their service managers to establish why some scores were below national averages before establishing improvement plans in order to address residents’ feedback.