Hackney Council has defended its record on community consultation amidst criticism surrounding Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and other engagement initiatives.
At a Council meeting on Wednesday, Councillor Penny Wrout of the Hackney Independent Socialist Group voiced concerns about the council's consultation practices, citing examples such as Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) where, she argued, majority opinions were often ignored, leading to public disillusionment. She stated that the Council had lost credibility and struggled to regain trust.
In response, Councillor Christopher Kennedy, Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care, Voluntary Sector and Culture, highlighted the council's high trust levels, with a recent resident survey showing 73% of Hackney residents trusting the council, significantly exceeding the national benchmark of 53%. He also noted that alterations had been made to LTN proposals as a result of consultation. While the specific alterations to LTN proposals were not detailed, the council maintains that community feedback directly influenced the final plans.
Over the past year, the Council's Communications and Consultation Team had run over 80 consultations, with 9,000 participants.
While defending the council's overall consultation record, Cllr Kennedy acknowledged that trust levels were lower amongst some groups. He also highlighted the council's efforts to improve outcomes for black children and young people, develop a fairer help early intervention model with community partners, and engage Morning Lane residents in design shaping.
Cllr Kennedy stated that the Council addressed the digital divide by using paper copies and face-to-face consultations in various locations. While paper copies and face-to-face meetings are used, further details on strategies to ensure inclusivity in consultations, particularly for residents with limited English proficiency or disabilities, were not provided.
He commended the Communications and Engagement team's efforts and the Council's responsiveness, as evidenced by LTN feedback.
The full minutes of the meeting are available on the Hackney Council website.
