WIRRAL Council’s massive consultation on the priorities for next year’s budget ends this weekend.

The “Wirral’s Future, be a part of it” exercise has seen more than 40,000 questionnaires handed out over the last six weeks, and has so far had around 10% – approximately 4,200 – handed back.

During the consultation, council officers have also held 116 roadshow events across the borough and have spoken to more than 10,000 people, giving them the questionnaires developed by four independent task forces.

The task forces focused on adult social services, children’s services, the economy and “living in Wirral”.

Some 800 forms have been returned to the council over the last week and the authority is urging those with completed questionnaires to get them in by Sunday, October 31.

These will be analysed by the council and the responses will be considered by the task forces when they meet in mid-November.

The responses will be used by the task forces to form the basis of a report to be presented to Wirral’s ruling cabinet as it begins the budget setting process on November 25.

The budget setting will also see Wirral’s leaders try to tackle a £108m projected deficit over the next four years.