Saving money and enabling community action

Reduce the number of councillors in Bristol by half to 35. This will immediately save £399000 in the basic salaries, plus more in savings on their projected pro rata pensions and projected fees for attending councillor training course.

The money saved should be used to widely publicise the need for snow wardens and street champions, and (only on request) to provide training for residents and groups of residents to set up community groups for their streets.

Some of the money might be occasionally claimed as compensation for one of these local residents if they have to take unpaid time off work to carry out these voluntaryduties.

These individuals or groups will be contact points for those residents who need extra help to access the council (for example if they are unable to use computers or are housebound or disabled/elderly/frail etc) They will be empowered to raise funds and arrange for low level work to be carried out that the council are financially unable to do for example, pruning trees and hedges overhanging pavements, clearing up litter, organising small works to walls, streetlights, etc.

They can work through the existing Neighbourhood Partnerships to publicise their activities and availability, but in fact will have more power in terms of getting work done and things acheived in their neighbourhoods than these bodies currently do.

This should be seen as a step towards giving direct power in their communities to local residents.

It will save Bristol nearly £400000 a year and empower local communities.