Consultations and engagement

In August 2023, we and our partners (De Montfort University, University of Leicester and Arts Council England) published initial recommendations for a cultural and creative industries strategy for Leicester to help the city raise its collective ambition, create a compelling vision for what it can become, and guide priorities for the next five years. The partners undertook citywide public consultation for comment.

77 responses were received, 62 from individuals and 15 representing organisations.

Most responses were positive and supported the vision and objectives of the strategy. Some respondents thought it should go further, more clearly prioritise between the themes and actions of the strategy and set out a more ambitious vision for cultural and creative industries and communities in Leicester.

The responses gave greatest priority to:

Industry focus and accessibility: There was a strong call for the strategy to focus on creating a robust framework for developing creative talent and skills and supporting recognised events like film festivals and art shows. This included providing accessible space for creatives, which was deemed crucial for fostering growth, attracting investment, and enhancing the city's cultural and economic appeal.

Inclusivity and diversity: The strategy needs to go beyond recognising ethnic diversity and include a broader scope of community representation, including the LGBT+ community and micro-businesses. The strategy should ensure that support mechanisms are equitable and reflect the city's demographics.

Evidence-based claims and local identity: Respondents asked for the strategy to present evidence-based claims about Leicester's cultural offerings to avoid generic statements. There was a desire for the strategy to resonate with local identity, ensuring honesty about the reality of life in the city and recognition of local assets, which would help drive meaningful change and prevent the strategy from being perceived as an out-of-touch, top-down approach.

Others saw a greater opportunity to highlight and capitalise on the benefits of creative health, and the need to link the recommendations explicitly to sustainability and addressing the climate emergency.

All comments have been scrutinised and noted. We and our partners will be hosting a further engagement event at Hansom Hall on Friday 1 December 2023 to set out eight ‘Big Ideas” which have been developed on the basis of feedback from the responses. This event will include live performances which showcase the excellence of cultural activity in Leicester as well as an opportunity to comment further on the ‘Big Ideas’ and provide input into the final strategy. 

In April 2023 we published a draft cycle storage document and undertook citywide public consultation for comment.

25 responses were received, 21 from individuals and 4 representing interest groups.

Many comments were positive and supported the provision of the document but felt it should go further.

Requests were made for greater provision of cycle storage and facilities by the city council and that the needs of wider groups of cycle users and cycle types should be better considered.

Many responses asked for more stringent requirements for new-build developments while others asked for a more lenient approach to allowing cycle storage in front gardens and for more detailed guidance to be published on what types of cycle store would be likely to be approved.
 

All comments have been scrutinised and noted and the document has been amended to incorporate suggestions made. The revised document will be made available on the city council website in due course and will be used as informal guidance to guide cycle parking provision in planning applications.

Comments made about city council cycle provision, which fell outside the scope of the document have been passed to the relevant department for further consideration.

In March / April 2023 we undertook a public consultation with parents/ carers, families, and the workforce delivering, and receiving, the 0-19 Healthy Child Programme, to gather views on the use of a Section 75 Agreement to re-commission Leicestershire Partnership NHS’s Healthy Together service to continue to run the offer, as well as to get feedback on proposed changes to the 0-19 Healthy Child Programme offer. 

We asked respondents to give their views on the following proposals:

• The use of a Section 75 Agreement between Leicester City Council and Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust to provide the 0-19 Healthy Child Programme in Leicester.
• Alterations to the delivery of the 3-4 month review for babies, including signposting to online resources and support, with face-to-face contact offered for families who need it. Introduction of a review for children aged 3-3.5 years, predominantly digitally, with face-to-face support offered for families who need it.
• Removal of the intensive health visiting (Early Start) offer, replaced by support provided by local neighbourhood public health nursing (health visiting) teams.
• Increased roll out of the Year 7, 9, and 11 Digital Health Contact.

114 responses were received via our online consultation platform from parents, carers, 0-19 Healthy Child Programme workforce, Leicester City Council staff and other relevant workforce staff. Responses were analysed by council officers, and a summary of the findings are below:

Section 75 Agreement:

• 55 respondents ‘Strongly Agreed’ or ‘Agreed’ with the proposal (70.5%)
• 10 respondents ‘Strongly Disagreed’ or ‘Disagreed’ with the proposal (12.8%)
• 13 respondents ‘Did Not Know’ or had ‘No Opinion Either Way’ (16.6%) 

3-4 Month Contact

• 59 respondents were fully or partially supportive of the proposal (53.2%)
• 39 respondents were not supportive at all of the proposal (35.1%)
• 13 respondents either had no opinion either way or did not answer (11.7%)

3-3.5 Year Review

• 87 respondents were fully or partially supportive of the proposal (80.5%)
• 10 respondents were not supportive at all of the proposal (9.3%)
• 11 respondents either had no opinion either way or did not answer (10.2%)

Intensive Health Visiting (Early Start)

• 59 respondents were fully or partially supportive of the proposal (52.7%)
• 39 respondents were not supportive at all of the proposal (34.8%)
• 14 respondents either had no opinion either way or did not answer (12.5%)

Year 7, 9, and 11 Digital Health Contact

• 86 respondents were fully or partially supportive of the proposal (78.2%)
• 7 respondents were not supportive at all of the proposal (6.4%)
• 17 respondents either had no opinion either way or did not answer (15.5%)

Additional stakeholder feedback was also received outside of this online process including sessions with young people and parents.

A decision has been made by Leicester City Council to use a Section 75 Agreement to continue to commission Leicestershire Partnership Trust to deliver the 0-19 Healthy Child Programme in Leicester.

The changes proposed in the consultation will be implemented and the new contract will commence October 2023 and run for seven years. 

Feedback and comments received reflected what the council had already considered, and issues will be addressed and mitigated in the new contract due to start in October 2023.