For the second year running, we’ve been talking to people who live and work in Stoke-on-Trent to help address the issues that matter to them. We wanted to thank everyone who took part in the consultation, to let you know about some of our findings and what we’ll be doing with the feedback we’ve collected.  What did we find out? Most people liked living in the city; two-thirds said that they felt either ‘very positive’ or ‘positive’ about living, working and studying in Stoke-on-Trent.    Residents celebrated:  Sense of community Shopping and leisure facilities Transport and connectivity Peace and quiet Parks and open spaces   Top priorities for improvement were:  Cleaner streets Parking, congestion and roads Public transport Community safety Shopping and leisure facilities

People were also enthusiastic about getting involved in their local area. More than a third said they’re already involved and a quarter said they’d like to get involved in future community activities. Ways that people said they could help included:  Taking part in litter picks,  Organising events and activities,  Holding activities for young people,  Maintaining parks and open spaces,  General volunteering,

What have we done with the feedback?

Working more closely with residents is at the heart of our Stronger Together vision. Your feedback has been central to developing a new strategic plan, which sets out the vison and priorities for the city council until 2020. It has also been used to shape the proposals for our 2016-17 budget, which will be agreed in February 2016. More information is available at stoke.gov.uk/budget2016

What happens next?

We’ll continue to talk to residents to help to bring communities together and create a city we can all be proud of. We’re currently looking at ways we work more closely to achieve the changes you’ve told us you’d like to see happen in your neighbourhood.

Also, a number of people said they’d be interested in volunteering and taking part in community activities. We’ll be getting in touch with them soon with information on opportunities and resources, and help support them to become more involved in their area in the future. If you’d like to help to look after your community, email stronger.together@stoke.gov.uk

For more details, go to stoke.gov.uk/strongertogether

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