4. Residents survey
In May 2014 we sent out a questionnaire to 3,000 randomly selected households. We received 774 responses. This is considered to be a good response rate and enough to be statistically reliable (Ipsos MORI the leading UK research company uses polls of 100 to infer the opinions for the UK population as a whole).
A similar survey was carried out in 2013.
Key outcomes from our residents viewpoint survey are below. Please note scores may not add up to 100 per cent as sometimes people do not express a view either way.
Overall
- 71 per cent are satisfied overall with the way we run things (13 per cent dissatisfied)
- 79 per cent feel they are kept informed (21 per cent did not). There has been a negative change since 2013 - 5 per cent fewer people now feel they are kept informed and 6 per cent more people don’t feel informed.
- 66 per cent feel we provide value for money (14 per cent do not). This time round 7 per cent more people said they feel we don't provide value for money.
- 53 per cent say we act on what residents say (47 per cent disagree).
- 56 per cent say we act quickly (12 per cent disagree). There has been a positive change in the percentage of people that agree we respond quickly when asked for help ( an increase of 7 per cent).
Council priorities
- 68 per cent agreed we capitalise on the districts natural landscape and countryside to attract visitors.
- 49 per cent agree that we are doing well on town regeneration. This percentage has fallen by 9 per cent since 2013.
- 47 per cent agree we are doing well in delivering jobs in the west of the district.
- As in 2013, concerns were around the need to retain the distinctiveness of our towns and improve the quality of retail on offer, try to deliver more jobs across the whole district and protect the AONB and greenfield sites from development.
- The main concern around planning is the same as in 2013 which is that people feel more weight should be given to local views.
Safety
- 96 per cent of people feel safe in the daytime and 77 per cent after dark (although this is a fall from 84 per cent in 2013). Those who don’t say they would feel safer with a greater police presence and if there were more street lights.
- When asked how much of a problem levels of pollution were, for example traffic fumes, noise, bathing water, 19 per cent say it is a very or fairly big problem, compared to 13 per cent in 2013.
- When asked how much of a problem litter, rubbish, vandalism or graffiti are 23 per cent say it’s a very or fairly big problem, compared to 11 per cent in 2013.
Services
- 88 per cent are satisfied with their household waste and blue food caddy collections.
- 84 per cent are happy with green box recycling.
- 79 per cent of people are satisfied with parks, public gardens, play areas and open spaces.
- 87 per cent are satisfied with the food hygiene service feeling confident about eating in cafés and restaurants.
- 55 per cent are satisfied with off street car parking.
- 50 per cent are satisfied with housing services.
- 53 per cent are satisfied with housing benefit and council tax services. Satisfaction has risen 7 per cent since 2013 and dissatisfaction has fallen the same amount.
- 42 per cent are satisfied with planning (25 per cent dissatisfied).
- As in 2013, comments show that residents are keen to be able to recycle more with many expressing that they want to be able to recycle cardboard and mixed plastics earlier than the 2016 date. As in 2013, people also want a garden waste service.
- In car parking, key issues are around the cost of parking and the need for more parking spaces.
- There were few comments about housing, benefit or council tax services.