Your Community : Your Choice is West Dunbartonshire’s version of participatory budgeting, an initiative that gives local people a direct say in how a portion of our budget is spent.
Your Community: Your Choice will be the Council’s first cycle of this new form of democracy, and it will give our citizens an opportunity to say what is important to them and decide on how a set amount of our budget is spent.
Between November 21 – March 22, residents of Clydebank will have the chance to influence how to spend £100,000 of public money. This will be our Pilot Project and the money will be used to develop Environmental Projects which can Improve Health & Well Being.
This guidance document sets out the process for Your Community : Your Choice in 2021/22 and gives details on how you can get involved. Guidance will continue to be developed across the project as Participatory Budgeting grows over the coming years with more information to be added.
Participatory Budgeting (PB) is about local people having a direct say in how to spend part of a public budget.
When done right, it can build stronger and better engaged communities.
There are three simple steps to carrying out Participatory Budgeting:
During this phase of PB, the budget that can be influenced will from Greenspace and the Heath & Social Care Partnership.
Anyone who lives in Clydebank can give us their idea through our website (wdn.communitychoices.scot) or by filling in an Idea Form which is available by email, on our website or in a number of locations across the authority. Our project team, which will be made up of Council officers and members of the public, will then check that ideas fit our criteria and look at costings and resources.
Our Pilot Programme will focus on Clydebank and therefore only residents of Clydebank will be able to participate in the pilot. Clydebank has been chosen by the relevant service areas (Greenspace & HSCP).
The budget contribution from HSCP was secured as it is aligned with Shaping Places and the planning team which has focus on Clydebank already. Final proposals will be published for voting on our website.
Any members of the public of high school age (S1) and above can apply to be on our project team. To find out more or to apply, please email empowerment@west-dunbarton.gov.uk.
Please note that anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult e.g. parent / youth worker.
In order for ideas to be taken forward to voting, they must meet the following criteria;
| Criteria | Description |
|---|---|
| Scope | Does the idea fit with what we can spend money on? The money can be used for Environmental projects in Clydebank which will improve walking & cycling routes or general Health & Well Being. Any bid must focus on one idea and not involve multiple ideas on one Idea Form |
| Budget | For this pilot project there is an overall budget of £100,000. |
| Cost | How much will your idea cost? Ideas must be • individual ideas must not exceed £100,000 – think big! We would like to hear your ideas no matter how big they may be. Relevant service areas will cost ideas and offer guidance. |
| Planning | Has the work or anything similar already been planned? If there is similar work underway or planned this could affect the idea. All ideas will be reviewed by Council service areas. Where similar work is already planned, ideas will not be progressed. Advice will be provided should this be the case. |
| Design | Will additional work be needed? Ideas will be looked at to see if they require Planning permission, building warrants or any design work and if this can be done in time. |
| Procurement | Does the idea meet the way the Council commissions work? The Council has to follow legal guidelines on how it buys materials and commissions services. Any ideas must fit within this process. |
| Site / Location | Does the Council own any land or facility the idea affects? Legally the Council can only work on its own land and facilities. This pilot project is focused on Clydebank only. Any idea that involves other land owners would need to demonstrate that they could work readily in partnership with the Council. |
| Timescales | Following the vote, the Council will commit to progressing the ideas within the year. |
Citizens
Budget Delegates
Budget Delegates have a key role to play in Your Community : Your Choice. It is important to involve citizens at all stages of Your Community: Your Choice.
Budget Delegates will be members of the Project Team and will work with Council officers to help turn ideas in to workable spending proposals that will be put forward to the Voting stage by:
For the purpose of the pilot which will be focused on Clydebank, we are inviting only those who residents from Clydebank to volunteer as a Budget Delegate.
If you are able to commit some time over a six week period, between November 2021 & March 2022 we would really like to hear from you.
Please contact us to get in involved or for more information;
empowerment@west-dunbarton.gov.uk.
The Communities Team will help citizens participate in the process through promoting all of the ways to get involved. They will:
The project team will ideally be chaired by the service area and will have officers from across Council services to work with Budget Delegates to:
These service’s will:
Will support the Project Team to:
Yes. If you aren’t sure if your idea fits in with Your Community : Your Choice or you need to speak to someone about your application, help will be available.
You can contact the Communities Team for support at empowerment@west-dunbarton.gov.uk.