Plain language helps cut out Basildon Council jargon (From Basildon Recorder)

Plain language helps cut out Basildon Council jargon

12:20pm Wednesday 9th December 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(5)

CORPORATE jargon is to be cut out by a council in its next advice booklet for residents.

Basildon Council chiefs are enlisting the help of the Plain Language Commission to help come up with better ways to explain themselves when talking about council tax.

The booklet will also save taxpayers around £6,000, as, for the first time, the council have produced the booklet alongside the county council, Essex Police Authority and the Essex Fire Service.

The booklet, which will go out to every home in the district at the start of the next financial year, will replace the three leaflets usually produced by all three bodies.

The Plain Language Commission, which will help write the booklet, works with local authorities and companies to help produce documents which are free from annoying jargon and buzz words.

Phil Turner, Basildon’s cabinet member responsible for resources, said: “With lots of us tightening our belts, it is more important than ever our residents understand what their council tax is spent on.

“The booklet contains lots of useful information about the council budget, where the money goes and what discounts residents may be entitled to.”

He also stressed: “As well as saving money by producing a joint booklet for the first time, we’re committed to making the workings of local government as clear as possible.

“The council tax booklet is a step in the right direction, and something we will continue to develop.”

Despite the moves to cut out jargon, plenty of it still exists in council documents, including the agenda of a recent overview and scrutiny committee.

In the agenda, the council set out its aims to: “Be strategic in planning all consultation and engagements activity to achieve informed decision-making, and to provide feedback to respondents and those affected.”

Other sentences from the agenda included: “The council will produce and maintain a consultation and engagement newsletter for the distribution to all members and staff on corporate messages, regarding consultation and engagement issues.”

The agenda also describes how there should be moves to “enable the council to address the current and future needs and priorities of our community, by empowering local people, service users and other stakeholders, using high quality consultation and engagement”.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(5)