RESIDENTS have been urged to attend hearings on the City's Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and budget, which are taking place in venues such as community halls, schools and churches.

The latest round of IDP road shows begins on Monday, 23 April at the Kidds Beach Community Hall at 10am. On the same day, there will be a meeting at the NU 15 Community Hall for wards 21, 22 and 23.

According to the municipality, this year, the IDP road shows will be held in clusters to accommodate all wards.

The two-week long endeavour will include a Business Breakfast on Thursday, 3 May at the East London ICC at 7am. Later that day, the Traditional Leaders Consultation will take place at the Mngqesha Great Place near Dimbaza, which all traditional leaders are invited to attend.

Ending the road shows, an IDP Open Day is planned for 4 May at the East London City Hall. It will begin at 10am.

The IDP road shows are part of the municipality's public participation process, which enables ordinary citizens to add their input to the IDP for the 2011/2013 financial year.

A municipal report says the meetings are also a platform to encourage residents to play a role and participate in becoming authors of their own development through making direct input into the IDP.

"Some of the issues discussed in the road shows include new projects, projects that are still on-going, completed projects and those that are long term."

The metro is to meet with the community of Dimbaza for a pre-IDP meeting on 19 April to discuss issues that are of importance to the people of Dimbaza.

These include the billing system in the area, the renovation of the existing sports field, cleaning of streets, the issuing of refuse bags and the construction of a new community hall in Khayelitsha.

"The billing system in Dimbaza has been a sore issue," says the municipality.

"People complain about the billing system where they get big amounts for the use of water. Some owe the municipality over R200 000."

Keith Ngesi, the City's communications manager, says the pre-IDP session is being held to resolve these issues with the people of Dimbaza.

Buffalo City is also looking at inviting to its IDP meetings various provincial and national departments and other stakeholders, like Home Affairs, Social Development, Human Settlements, Education, Rural Development and Economic Affairs, Environmental Affairs, and Eskom.