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# Future focus will be on collaboration with communities rather than just consultation, council chiefs say
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/future-focus-will-be-on-collaboration-with-communities-rather-than-just-consultation-council-chiefs-say/
- Published: 2022-03-07T14:16:59.000Z
- Updated: 2022-03-07T14:17:09.000Z
- Description: Council chiefs say it is crucial that they collaborate rather than just consult with communities in Lichfield and Burntwood going forward.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Community, Politics, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 19:11, News

Council chiefs say it is crucial that they collaborate rather than just consult with communities in Lichfield and Burntwood going forward.

![Lichfield District Council House](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e3/90/e390c3da-0866-4d2a-8ffe-ca4999d7ce1c/content/images/lichfieldlive-co-uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/district-council-house.jpg)

Lichfield District Council House

The cabinet at Lichfield District Council will debate a new [Community Power Strategy](https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/content/files/democracy-lichfielddc-gov-uk/documents/s11981/appendix-1-community-power-strategy.pdf) at a meeting tomorrow (8th March).

It looks to set out how the local authority can move from “transactional to more co-creative communication” with residents and local organisations.

Cllr Doug Pullen, leader of Lichfield District Council, said experiences with consultation over the Birmingham Road site had shown the value of a move away from the more traditional approach.

> “It is not enough to consult anymore – we must collaborate with the wealth of experience that already exists.  
>  
> “Doing a survey and saying we’ve ticked a box is no longer enough and we must reimagine the way we think about consultation.  
>  
> “The Birmingham Road site is a great example where previously we’d have have stuck some plans up in a shop and carried out some surveys.  
>  
> “But this time we’ve tried to take a different approach, including asking schoolchildren to come up with designs and running our monthly sounding board sessions which are open to businesses and residents.  
>  
> “These aren’t just about people listening to what we want to do, they are also allowing them to give their input, identify ideas or demonstrate where they think there might be problems – the more eyes we get looking at things the better.  
>  
> “The information we’ve had from the sounding board sessions would have cost us a fortune in consultancy fees, but we were able to get that valuable ground level advice from people.”  
>  
> Cllr Doug Pullen, Lichfield District Council

![Cllr Richard Cox](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e3/90/e390c3da-0866-4d2a-8ffe-ca4999d7ce1c/content/images/lichfieldlive-co-uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/bigpic-7.jpg)

Cllr Richard Cox

Cllr Richard Cox, cabinet member for community engagement, said the strategy would help ensure the work of groups across the district would be supported in future.

> “We are keen to recognise the value of the fabulous groups who are so active and make sure that we can do things together.  
>  
> “This isn’t about telling them how to run their organisations, but it’s providing the support they need to carry on doing what they are doing.”  
>  
> Cllr Richard Cox, Lichfield District Council

Cllr Pullen said the work of local organisations had demonstrated they were able to enhance their communities and showed why the council should seek to support them.

> “There is a wealth of experience across the district. Groups like Lichfield Litter Legends, the Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust, Parkrun and the Lichfield Waterworks Trust are all doing fantastic work with and at times without our support.  
>  
> “Spark in Burntwood is a fantastic model of community organisation and the depth they have achieved probably surpasses anything a council could achieve.  
>  
> “We are bringing in [New Local](https://www.newlocal.org.uk/?ref=lichfieldlive.co.uk) who are all about empowering communities and reimagining the relationship local authorities have with their communities.”  
>  
> Cllr Doug Pullen, Lichfield District Council