'We want more of a say on how Sheffield is run' - Young people give their views ahead of It's Our City referendum

Young people want to see council business modernised and to have more of a say in how Sheffield is run – that is the message that has been given to the council.
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Councillors have spent a month listening to evidence ahead of a referendum next May which will ask people how they want the council to be run.

The overview and scrutiny board said one of the key messages was that the council needed “quality engagement” with people.

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Its report says: “A message that came across particularly clearly from the young people was that a lot of people don’t understand how decision making in the council currently works but they are interested, and want to know more. As one of the young people we spoke to told us, you shouldn’t have to trawl through minutes to understand how the council works.

Sheffield peace Gardens and Town HallSheffield peace Gardens and Town Hall
Sheffield peace Gardens and Town Hall

“We need to be more open in our communication about democracy and decision making, and put accessible information on platforms people are already engaging with.”

The report says young people felt frustrated. “Young people told us that involvement shouldn’t be tokenistic, and should happen at a time when it can meaningfully influence. A youth cabinet member shared their frustration at being consulted on the final draft of a strategy which they felt was too late to have a real impact.

“A commitment to openness and transparency must run through our decision making structure. People we spoke to welcomed the improvement in transparency that webcasting council meetings has brought, but we recognise that we need to make it easier for people to access information.”

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“This needs to start with comprehensive forward planning of decisions – being clear about what decisions we are planning to take, when they will be taken, who will be taking them.

“It needs to continue through the decision making process, with clear reports from officers that set out the relevant information in an accessible way, and are clear about the reasons for a decision being made.”

The board’s recommendations will go to full council in January. The full report can be read here: