Time to have a say as ‘Your Council, Your Voice’ survey is launched

Residents are being given the chance to help shape Derbyshire County Council’s future decisions and direction including which services to prioritise and where council taxpayers’ money should be spent.

The opportunity to get involved comes in the shape of this year’s residents’ survey ‘Your Council Your Voice’ which launched on 1st June and runs for seven weeks until midnight on Sunday 19th July.

‘Your Council Your Voice’ gives Derbyshire residents the opportunity to tell the council what they think about a number of issues including how they feel about the services it runs, what they think about where they live and whether they’d like to see changes or improvements and if so, in which areas.

The survey is made up of 30 main questions, and all answers given will be closely analysed and used to feed into shaping the next Council Plan and ensuring budgets are targeted where they are most needed.

People can take part in the survey here: www.derbyshire.gov.uk/ycyv2026. Paper copies are also available at libraries or on request.

The survey is run each year so that the council can monitor changes in residents’ priorities and opinions, what is working and which areas may need to improve.

Those taking part will be able to say whether they think the council provides value for money, if it involves people in decision-making and keeps residents informed about its work.

They will also be able to select their three priority services provided by the council, ranging from a list including keeping children safe, welfare rights, roads and transport to waste and recycling, special educational needs, libraries and adult care.

As the council continues to closely monitor its budget to ensure it maintains balanced books and achieves savings and efficiencies, there is also the opportunity for those taking the survey to make suggestions as to how money could be saved or revenue could be raised.

Derbyshire County Council Leader Councillor Alan Graves said: “The annual residents’ survey is one of the most important features of our annual calendar as it’s a great way to connect with our residents and really get to the heart of what they think about the council and how we’re doing.

“We know that many households continue to face financial pressures, and the council is also affected by rising costs. With our limited resources it is more important than ever that decisions are guided by what our residents tell us.

“We want as many people as possible, of all ages, to fill out the questionnaire and be open and honest with their views, and we will take them on board and use them to shape our future direction.”

The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete and results will be reported later this year.

Online focus groups to discuss topics in more detail will be run in July and August, and the survey gives people an opportunity to say if they are interested in taking part in any of the sessions.