Fenland Council is taking to Twitter to test public opinion on its future plans.

The council says it will use social media polls on both Twitter and Facebook to gauge reaction to its newly published draft business plan.

Each year the council publish their business plan which includes everything they plan to do in the region in the New Year.

For the first time ever, members of the public are able to vote on the business plan using social media polls on Facebook and Twitter.

The council says it aims “to improve the quality of life for people living in Fenland” from 2019 to 2020.

They revealed that despite being in the 10th year of public sector austerity they have made savings of £9.5 million.

Proposals up for debate include an injection of cash into the market towns of Chatteris, March, Whittlesey and Wisbech who will each receive £50,000 to make “Fenland an even better place to live”.

Following nine successful bids, the council has received more than £1.1 million for projects to promote cohesion and reduce the impact of migration.

Council leader Chris Seaton and chief executive Paul Medd, said: “It’s not just about making efficiencies though.

“We are an ambitious forward-thinking council and continue to lobby for investment to help tackle important issues.

“Now in its second year, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority have committed millions of pounds towards projects in Fenland.”

The report revealed that 23 per cent of the population in Fenland are aged 65 or over; which is above average compared to the UK as a whole.

It also revealed that Fenland is the 80th most deprived area in the country, with some wards in Wisbech within the top 10 per cent.

The council say that despite the challenges of austerity, all 382 employees are “proud to deliver a variety of high-quality core services for local people”.

On average, the council empty three million bins, clean 210 million square miles of town centres and open spaces, determine 1,300 planning applications and enable 75,400 people to vote in elections.

This year, the council will continue to focus on past successes included delivering four Golden Age fairs across the district.

They plan to deliver the ‘Four Seasons’ event programme in partnership with the market towns and increase the use of local open spaces.

They will base the success on various ‘performance indicators’, including public feedback and the number of satisfied attendees.

The consultation runs until February 1 and the outcomes will be considered by cabinet on February 21. Go to Fenland Council website for more information.