RESIDENTS in Basildon are being urged to share their views on how the district council should best spend money on local services, how could it raise more money to support those services and which services matter most to them.

Basildon Council is asking residents for views before it sets its budget for 2022/23, which must balance spending on services with the resources available.

The public survey, which closes on Monday, 6 September, asks residents for their opinion on which services are a higher or lower priority – from street cleaning and the maintenance of parks and open spaces to regeneration projects and housing advice.

Residents and businesses are further asked to give their views on a range of income generation suggestions - including increasing investment in commercial buildings, selling its expertise to other councils and investing more in building homes for private rent and sale to generate income.

The council gets all of its income from council tax, business rates, money it can raise itself and grants for specific purposes.

Cllr Stuart Sullivan, Chairman of the Resources and Commercial Committee, said: "Demand for council services continues to increase, but so does the cost of providing them. Based on current projections, if we take no action, we will have a shortfall in our budget of £1.7million for 2022/23 – rising to £1.9million by 2024/25.

"To balance the budget, we may have to reduce spending while finding ways to increase income and make efficiencies. We know that we will have difficult decisions to make, which is why it is important that we understand which services matter most to our residents."

To take part in the survey please visit www.basildon.gov.uk/budgetsurvey