Consultation & Engagement Hub

The consultation on the council’s 2021/22 budget was open for six weeks from 16 November 2020 until 28 December 2020. Individual responses were received via the survey and additional responses were received from organisations and individuals via email.

More information about what we consulted on is available in the consultation survey.

We received 2,006 responses to the Budget consultation 2021/22, the results of which are available in the Budget 2021/22 consultation report.

1,936 (97%) of the 2,006 people who responded to the budget consultation, stated the level core Council Tax increase they would support in 2021/22, from the three options provided*:

A majority of respondents (66%) favour an increase in core Council Tax to support general services. Of these, 259 (13% of all 1,936 respondents) favour a 3% increase, 688 (36%) favour a 2% increase and 332 (17%) would prefer a 1% increase in core Council Tax.

657 (34%) respondents would prefer ‘no increase to Council Tax’ in 2021/22.

1,957 (98%) of the 2,006 respondents to the consultation, expressed a preference for a particular level of Adult Social Care Precept, from the three options provided**:

A majority of respondents (60%) favour an additional Adult Social Care Precept (on top of core Council Tax) to support the delivery of adult social care.

Of these, 334 (17% of all 1,957 respondents) favour a 3% Adult Social Care Precept, 416 (21%) favour a 2% and 422 (22%) would prefer a 1% Adult Social Care Precept.

785 (40%) respondents would prefer no increase to Adult Social Care Precept in 2021/22.

*2% is the maximum amount the council can raise Council Tax in 2021/22 without holding a local referendum. This limit is set by government. The 2% limit was announced in the Spending Review 2020 on 25 November. - after the consultation go live date of 16 November. Respondents were able to choose a Council Tax increase of up to 3% before the spending review and up to 2% after the spending review.

** The council is allowed to add a Social Care Precept of up to 3% to Council Tax in 2021/22. This is in addition to the permitted increase of up to 2% for core Council Tax.. Respondents were able to choose a Social Care Precept of up to 2% before the spending review and up to 3% after the spending review.

The decision will be taken at Full Council on 23 February 2021.

We sought feedback from the local community and stakeholder groups on the Bristol Avon Flood Strategy.  We received 576 responses to the consultation which took place between 5 October 2020 and 20 December 2020.

The first three weeks of the consultation were dedicated to contacting those who are currently at risk of flooding - this was done directly via mail so that they had an early opportunity to comment and organise to speak to us if they wished to.  This included both businesses and residents who received an information booklet and survey and a covering letter offering conversations.  This included those impacted further downstream and upstream in neighbouring authorities.  The consultation was then opened up more widely from 26 October 2020.

The focus of both parts of the consultation was to secure responses from those in areas most impacted.  Whilst views from across the city and from neighbouring authorities were welcome, promotion was specifically targeted at the areas most impacted.

Please read the following documents providing the public feedback to the consultation:

Bristol Avon Flood Strategy consultation report

SEA consultation report

Please read the document below providing our response to the public feedback:

You Said, We Did - Consultation responses and outcomes

A decision will be reached at Cabinet on 9 March 2021.

We sought feedback from the local community on initial ideas for improving the River Malago and the green, and improving travel around and through the area with better routes for public transport, walking and cycling. We also proposed changes to parking in the area with a new decked car park proposed on the site of the current Little Paradise Car Park.

Please read the following documents providing the public feedback and our response based on it:

Bedminster Green River Restoration Community Engagement Feedback

Bedminster Green Transport Community Engagement Feedback

Bedminster Green - Changes to parking in Little Paradise Car Park

Please read the  documents above providing the public feedback and our response based on it.

Background and Overview

It is the responsibility of all Admission Authorities to set admission arrangements which adhere to regulations set by the Department for Education’s (DfE) School Admissions Code (2014) ensuring a clear and fair access protocol is in place for all school applications.

Admission arrangements are set by Bristol City Council for all Community and Controlled schools.  Other schools are responsible for setting their own arrangements. This includes all secondary schools as well as many primary schools.

Decision Details

Minor alterations were made to the wording from the 2020/2021 arrangements, changing dates for the admissions process to suit the relevant academic year.  The key principles however, including the order of the oversubscription criteria remain unchanged from previous years.

Bristol City Council’s annual duty to set admission arrangements also includes determining the number of children to be admitted into the reception year for Community and Controlled schools.  In order to comply with the School Admissions Code these arrangements need to be formally agreed by 28^th February in the year prior to admission year.  Once the admission number is set schools cannot admit fewer children (assuming there are sufficient applications) but can admit more children. 

Demand for reception places has been reducing and some schools are experiencing difficulty with the number of children starting where infant class size regulations require multiple classes but these classes have a significant number of spaces.  For example, a school with a PAN of 60 will plan for 2 classes.  35 children start, leaving 25 spare places.  Pressure on school finances means that this is unsustainable.

Therefore a further proposal was to reduce the Published Admission Number (PAN) at some maintained primary schools.

The following schools requested a reduction to their PAN:

• Nova Primary school – PAN reduced from 60 to 30
• Summerhill Infant School – PAN reduced from 90 to 60

Public Consultation

A public consultation was open from 6^th December 2019 through to 31^th January 2020.  During this consultation the proposed admission arrangements and co-ordinated schemes for entry into Reception and Year 7 for the 2021/2022 cohorts as well as for in year applications and the proposed reductions in PAN were put online, allowing persons of interest including; school staff, governors and parents/carers to submit comments and feedback.

The consultation was hosted on the BCC Citizen Space consultation page and promoted via contact with all Bristol nursery, primary and secondary schools, relevant academy trusts as well as on the BCC admissions webpage and Ask Bristol e-bulletin.  The consultation was targeted to schools and parents/carers as well as other relevant and interested parties.

We received seven responses.

There were no objections to the proposed admission arrangements and co-ordinated scheme for 2021/22.

Feedback was supportive of reducing PAN at Nova Primary School.

We received responses to Summerhill Infants PAN reduction with concerns about how this could impact the funding the school receives.  That staff will lose their jobs and would the LA support these staff members find jobs elsewhere?

Questions were also raised about how local primary schools had opened or expanded, such as Whitehall primary, to the detriment of Summerhill.   

We also received comments regarding how the falling primary school population could be managed by directing schools to set their PAN in order for all schools to stand the best chance of reaching capacity.  Hence some school’s reducing their PAN to support other schools and provide them with a better chance of survival.

  A response from Bristol City Council

Bristol City Council is proposing the decrease in PAN at both schools following conversations with senior staff and school governors in response to falling pupil numbers for primary age children across the city. With applications for the schools looking to be around one form of entry under PAN, the schools have to consider the impact this will have upon the way they structure their classes and organise staff.  Fewer pupils has a direct impact upon the amount of funding the school receives.  If schools are operating under capacity they are likely to face a cost deficit with funds needed for other recourses, including staff.  This is inefficient and unsustainable for a school.  Furthermore, it makes it difficult for them to maintain the high standards of education and wellbeing for the children.

As the proposed changes are not due to take effect until the 2021 academic year, this allows the school and staff time to make plans for the future.  The schools and their governors are responsible for the decision making process regarding staff. The LA would support the school through this process.

With regards to expansion at Whitehall, this was planned and implemented while demand for primary school places was still rising. The school is also very popular with local parents.   One of the key objectives for the LA is to meet parental preference. The school has remained heavily oversubscribed despite the increased places and falling pupil numbers in this part of the city.

The LA has a co-operative relationship will all maintained Bristol schools and we are working collaboratively with schools across the city to manage PANs in order to best meet forecasted demand.

The Decisions Taken

After reviewing the options available and considering the information at our disposal, the decisions taken have been:

• To proceed with the proposed admission arrangements and co-ordinated schemes for primary and secondary schools 2021/2022.
   
• To proceed with the proposal to reduce the pupil admission number at the following schools:

• Nova Primary School - from 60 to 30
• Summerhill Infant School - from 120 to 90

The council was contacted by people living and working in Bishopston and St Andrews (parts of Redland, Ashley and Bishopston and Ashley Down wards) requesting extra parking controls to solve problems they experience with parking.

We are committed to listening to people’s views, and therefore wanted to hear your thoughts to help us decide if any parking changes are needed and would be supported more widely.
 
Why are we asking for your views now?

The council’s position is that there needs to be overwhelming support for a Residents’ Parking Scheme (RPS) in a community before a new RPS could be considered.
 
The council has undertaken a follow-up survey of all citizens, businesses and other stakeholders in the area shown in the map to gauge if the views we have received so far are representative of wider concerns in the area and, in the case of RPS, if there is evidence of overwhelming support in part or all of the survey area.

In the Bishopston and St Andrews survey area responses were received from 1,282 properties, out of 3,315 properties in the survey area.

1,618 responses were received in total from the 1,282 properties (there was more than one response from many households).

• 70% of those responding  were in favour of Junction Protection
• 60% of those responding were in favour of a Residents Parking Scheme

A summary of the results is available here.

This letter from Councillor Kye Dudd summarises the next steps.