The final version of a new shared vision for Rutland has been published by the Future Rutland Conversation.
The Future Rutland Conversation is an in-depth discussion with everyone who lives and works in Rutland, to understand what’s most important to them. The aim of Future Rutland has been to take this knowledge and use it to develop a new ‘shared vision’ for the county – something that unites communities, businesses, and public bodies around a set of common goals which can help to shape Rutland’s long-term future.
Over the course of this year-long project, the Future Rutland Conversation has heard from more than 2,000 people of all ages and from every part of the county. Multiple rounds of public engagement have taken place since Future Rutland first began in April 2021. This eventually led to the publication of a Draft Vision that describes a Rutland of the future based on the things which local people themselves say really matter.
Consultation on the Draft Future Rutland Vision took place throughout November 2021, when adults, young people, businesses, and visitors were asked to read the Vision and provide feedback via an online consultation. They were asked if the county that’s described in the Vision is a place where they would want to live and, importantly, whether they thought anything was missing. As with each previous round of the Future Rutland Conversation, anyone without internet access was encouraged to call Rutland County Council. They were then given the option to receive a paper copy of the survey questionnaire or a consultation over the phone. A letter was sent to every household in Rutland to make sure all residents had the opportunity to take part.
All of the feedback gathered as part of this final consultation was reviewed over a period of two months, during which time changes were also made to the Draft Vision. Changes were carried out where similar comments or observations were made repeatedly by a significant number of people – helping to identify key points that were either missing or underrepresented in the Vision.
A revised and updated version of the Future Rutland Shared Vision has now been published online at: future.rutland.gov.uk, together with a report that summarises all the feedback received during November’s month-long Draft Vision consultation.
When Rutland County Council first launched the Future Rutland Conversation, at the start of 2021, it was with the simple aim of speaking to local people about the things they care about. Over the course of this year-long process, Future Rutland has heard from well over 2,000 people, representing one of the largest sustained public engagement programmes ever undertaken in the county. “Adults, young people, businesses and visitors have all been encouraged to contribute to the Future Rutland Conversation and review the project’s findings at every stage. The end result is a new Shared Vision that’s been met with approval from Rutland residents and where every goal is directly aligned with the aspirations of local people.“The Future Rutland Vision does not belong to any single group or organisation. However, Rutland County Council is uniquely placed to bring people together in a way that helps to advance the goals contained in the Vision – whether by developing new policies and strategies, or by acting as a link between the many local groups and organisations who can effect change. The Council is currently developing a new Corporate Plan that will set out its commitments in relation to the Future Rutland Vision and explain how we will contribute to various aims – helping to show others how they can do the same. The Council will also use its networks and leadership to promote collaboration between communities, organisations, and professionals, so that we can all share responsibility for the Vision.”Mark Andrews, Chief Executive of Rutland County Council
