What is public participation?
Public participation can be any process that directly engages the public in how decisions are made and gives consideration to how the public inputs into making that decision. Public participation is a process, not a single event.
It consists of a series of activities and actions taken over the lifespan of a project to both inform the public and obtain input from them. Public participation affords stakeholders (those that have an interest or stake in an issue, such as individuals, interest groups, communities) the opportunity to influence how decisions are made that affect their lives and community.
Public participation plays a key role in providing better outcomes for both the Council and stakeholders.
When done in a meaningful way, public participation results in greater understanding of additional facts, values, and perspectives obtained through public input – to bring to bear on the decision process and to shape how the organisation works.
What is the Public Participation Strategy?
The Vale of Glamorgan Council wishes to encourage all stakeholders to take part in the decision-making process by helping determine what the decisions are about, understanding the issues and developing solutions in a co-designed and co-productive way.
The Council’s stakeholders include citizens, businesses, visitors and others. The Council wants to take steps to ensure all voices are heard, particularly those from seldom-heard groups and young people are also given the opportunity to participate.
The Council recognises that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to engaging such a broad range of stakeholders. As part of our commitment, we will be diverse in the way that we engage and connect with different groups.
This Public Participation Strategy outlines the Council’s current position, as well as our short and long-term goals and how these will contribute to delivering our wellbeing objectives.
Read the Draft Public Participation Strategy