A PARTY leader has criticised the way his council has consulted residents on the district’s annual budget.

John Mason, leader of the Green and Rochford District Residents Group, hit out at Rochford District Council’s handling of its annual budget survey, which he said “dismayed” his group after it missed out on key issues that could have been discussed.

Mr Mason argued the council’s survey did not clearly show residents what options there were for increases in charges or savings, keeping them in the dark about different budget possibilities.

He said: “In previous years, councillors have been invited to an off-the-record, non-confidential meeting.

“But this year, the information and proceedings, on January 23, are going to be confidential, breaching an agreement going back to 2014 without any discussion.

“The Green and Rochford District Residents Group believes in transparency in local government and if it is good for Southend to share things with residents, we cannot understand why so much of what Rochford District Council proposes is in exempt.”

Following the release of the council’s budget survey late in 2017, the group released its own rival survey.

Mr Mason said: “Councillors were not consulted on the content of the council’s Budget Survey which when we saw it dismayed us because it lacked any consultation on a range of potential budget possibilities.

“So we launched our own, on our own web site, and published links to this on social media. In a much shorter time than the council deployed we have had 134 residents complete our Budget Poll.”

The independent survey from the group said the council had not clearly stated there would be a “budget gap”. In the independent survey, a number of residents were in favour of putting more money into helping house vulnerable people as well as bring a homeless shelter to the Rochford district. T Currently, the nearest shelter to the area is in Southend.

Mr Mason said: “Residents are tired of add on ‘top up’ taxes like special charges for green bins, car parking charges or even an extra charge for street lighting.

“Residents were in favour of capital projects to develop land assets for development for affordable homes for social rent, a homeless shelter and investment in a solar farm.”