Agenda item

To receive a report from the Chief Officer (Highways and Transportation) outlining the work of the Connecting Leeds team with a view to members considering how the current approach to consultation and engagement may continue to develop in future.

The Chair noted that the 2023/24 Scrutiny Board recommended that this item was considered in this municipal year and members again agreed they wished to take this forward in June 2024. 

She noted that the accompanying report recognises the significant improvements that have been made over recent years in consultation and engagement through the Connecting Leeds team. She asked members to consider how the current team operates and how that journey of improvement can continue to evolve.

Individuals in attendance for this item were:

·  Gary Bartlett (Chief Officer, Transportation and Highways)

·  Paul Foster (Head of Transport Strategy)

·  Joanna Lepelley (Senior Project Officer)

Gary Bartlett highlighted the significant work that has taken place to improve engagement since 2016. He identified that one area for future improvement may be to consider how younger people could be more effectively targeted through partnerships with social influencers.

Members welcomed work that has been undertaken to capture a broader range of views through the consultation process. A verbal update was requested on how officers are seeking to improve representation from groups who have historically been underrepresented in consultation responses. Clarification was also requested on how officers ensure national campaigns on issues such as active travel zones do not distort responses from local people who would be affected by a scheme.

Joanna Lepelley noted that tackling an imbalance in responses linked to EDI characteristics is an ongoing process. She advised the members that officers will review responses part way through a consultation and seek to adapt the marketing strategy if a significant imbalance is identified.

Paul Foster further advised the Board that postcodes can be used to disaggregate the views of local people if there is concern that a consultation is being distorted due to a national campaign. That disaggregated data can then be provided to assist decision makers.

Members recommended that information is provided to local communities after a consultation to illustrate why decisions have been taken. It was noted that this does currently happen in some instances.

Officers agreed to consider how this approach might be extended for more schemes – for example, by notifying local members of when information is published online post-consultation so that it can be shared more widely by members in their communities.

In concluding the discussion, Cllr Bithell thanked officers for swiftly incorporating changes to their report ahead of the meeting. She also welcomed the ‘bitesize’ element within consultations, as illustrated in the appendix.

The Chair encouraged officers to consider how the anchor network might be used to increase the distribution of consultations and agreed that social influencers may provide a mechanism through which younger people could be more engaged.

Reflecting on discussions relating to an imbalance relation to EDI characteristics, the Chair highlighted the importance of understanding who is not responding, as well as who is replying.

RESOLVED:

Members noted the content of the report.

Members asked that consideration be given to the following matters:

-  The future use of social influencers to target younger people.

-  The potential use of the anchor network to increase the distribution of consultations.

-  Ways in which ward members can be made aware of information post-consultation, so that can it be shared within the affected local community.