Have your say on the future of South Gloucestershire

Feedback given during the first phase of engagement on the Council Plan in the Autumn has been used to shape some of our goals and how they will be implemented.

Throughout this survey in the dropdowns, we have included previous comments from these other engagement exercises.

Any feedback you give here will be analysed by the research team at South Gloucestershire Council. We read every comment to draw out key themes and concerns people tell us about. We create a detailed report with all the survey findings, and responses from other representatives and stakeholders, which is distributed to the leadership team to consider before finalising/amending the consultation document and plans.

This is a global priority, but there is significant scope for us to make a difference in South Gloucestershire, with the council playing a leading role. In our initial council plan consultation, you told us the priorities should be to:

“Reduce carbon emissions to near zero in South Glos.”

“Protect green spaces.”

“Increase biodiversity.”

What can the council do?

Quite a lot.

• Only 14% of local homes have low carbon heating systems; we can use our influence over planning to increase that.
• We’re proud of our countryside; we want to plant more trees to double overall tree cover and manage land positively for nature.
• Alternatives to car travel are not affordable, reliable or convenient enough to encourage people to make the switch; we want to invest in the local EV charging network and in walking and cycling facilities to make these more attractive options. But we know what the region really needs is better public transport provision. We want to use our influence within the West of England Combined Authority to protect and improve bus and train services.

We have a thriving local economy with major companies like Airbus, Rolls Royce, Friends Provident and the Ministry of Defence providing local people with good jobs. 

But not everyone has benefited. Some parts of the district have suffered from long-term deprivation and recent data shows that some people and groups face rising poverty. In our initial council plan consultation, you told us the priorities should be to:

“Invest in community services that improve people's quality of life.”

“Support low-income individuals and families.”

“Embrace our culture and differences.”

What can the council do?

The council may not be able to address inequality directly on its own, but by working with partner organisations we can address the causes and mitigate the worst impacts of inequality, improving outcomes for everyone. We want to:

• Ensure people can access the best possible financial support.
• Support people to find help to get into work and to get the public services they need.
• Continue to prioritise growth to create better opportunities for all.

Some of the worst impacts of inequalities are felt by vulnerable children and young people. We’ve seen this in increases in the number of children being referred to social services and how many young people are eligible for Free School meals. We have also seen increases in the number of children who have a Special Educational Need (SEN). We need to take action to improve the outcomes for all our children.

In our initial council plan consultation, you told us the priorities should be to:

“Concentrate on the young. Encourage development of real training opportunities.”

“More inclusive community. Better awareness of the challenges young people with additional needs or disabilities face”

“Adequately fund social care and youth services.”

What can the council do?

The emerging council plan identifies potential priorities to:

• Provide high quality local education places for all children and young people close to home and in their community.
• Secure more specialised school places for children with additional needs.
• Support Care Leavers into work or training to minimise Not in Education, Employment and Training (NEET) status.

South Gloucestershire residents have better than national average health outcomes, but with an ageing and diversifying population, we need to act to narrow some significant inequalities. We believe that where older people are supported to live independently in their own homes and younger generations play a part in community life, intergenerational and integrated communities can thrive, with benefits to physical and mental health and wellbeing for all.

In our initial council plan consultation, you told us the priorities should be to:

“Build houses that meet the needs of an aging community.”

“Deliver a better life balance for all with quick access to nature and healthy living.”

“Encourage a stronger sense of community where everyone looks out for each other.”

South Gloucestershire’s population has grown by more than 10% over the past decade and is expected to increase by a further 20% by 2043. Local people are understandably concerned about how this growth will be managed and expect the council to use its influence to ensure new development is sensitive to the natural environment and is supported by appropriate social and transport infrastructure.

In our initial council plan consultation, transport and housing priorities were the highest priorities for many local people:

“More affordable housing.”

“Not spoiled by over-development.” 

“Stop building without infrastructure.” 

“A reduction in traffic.”

“Improved public transport.”

“Choices other than a car for getting around.” 

“Deal with poor road conditions.”

You can find more information about the transport and housing priorities and what role the council has in delivering those priorities in the emerging council plan document.

South Gloucestershire’s population has grown by more than 10% over the past decade and is expected to increase by a further 20% by 2043. Local people are understandably concerned about how this growth will be managed and expect the council to use its influence to ensure new development is sensitive to the natural environment and is supported by appropriate social and transport infrastructure.

In our initial council plan consultation, transport and housing priorities were the highest priorities for many local people:

“More affordable housing.”

“Not spoiled by over-development.” 

“Stop building without infrastructure.” 

“A reduction in traffic.”

“Improved public transport.”

“Choices other than a car for getting around.” 

“Deal with poor road conditions.”

You can find more information about the transport and housing priorities and what role the council has in delivering those priorities in the emerging council plan document.