12th February 2009 / AGENDA ITEM 7
BLACKPOOL LOCAL AREA AGREEMENT RESIDENTS ‘SURVEY B’ 2008
1. Matter for consideration
1.1 The Committee is asked to consider the results of the second of three residents’ surveys being carried out relating to the delivery of the Local Area Agreement.
2.0 Recommendation(s)
2.1 To note the content of the report, making recommendations in relation to progress as considered appropriate.
3.0 Summary of key issues:
3.1 As part of the requirements for the Local Area Agreement Performance Reward Grant within the Stronger and Safer Communities theme and to meet its ongoing commitment to seek the views of its residents, Blackpool Council commissioned BMG Research Ltd (BMG) to carry out a series of postal surveys amongst its resident’s. This is the second of three similar surveys which was carried out over July and August 2008. The previous survey ‘A’ was reported to this Committee on 2nd October 2008.
3.2 The overall objective of these surveys is to assess levels of resident’s satisfaction with Blackpool and with the Council in key service areas which are included in the old LAA and for which performance reward still applies. The ‘refreshed’ LAA 2008-11 does not contain such perception measures, however the information provided from these surveys is interesting for the Council and its partners, for service managers and other providers. Further similar survey work – the ‘Place survey’ – has been completed as part of a national exercise which will feed into the new Comprehensive Area Assessment. Results of this will be available very soon.
3.3 The Residents Survey was carried out between July and August 2008. A total of 3,500 questionnaires were mailed out and around 1,016 questionnaires were returned representing a response rate of 29%. The survey questionnaire is exactly the same as the previous survey.
3.4 The results are presented in a short appendix to this report. There is very little change on the results from survey two generally and on specific issues such as perceptions of anti-social behaviour which shows a continuing percentage increase. Consequently there is therefore unlikely to be a change in the position with respect to the unlikelihood of performance reward grant in this area.
3.5 Following the results of the Place Survey being published and by disaggregating the results of the three LAA surveys and the Place survey to ward level it will be possible to begin to target areas where we know residents feel anti-social behaviour is a problem. In these areas ‘re-assurance’ work, diversionary activities for young people and positive communication could make a difference to perceptions in the future.
4.0 Witnesses / representatives
4.1 As requested by the Committee members, the following Officer has been invited to attend the meeting to speak on the matter:
· Graham Pinfield, Head of Policy and Research.
Relevant officer:
Fiona McGrath, Assistant Chief Executive, Blackpool Council
Appendices attached:
Appendix 7a, Key messages from Blackpool LAA Survey B, 2008.
Background papers:
BMG – The Blackpool Residents Survey – Survey B Summer 2008 (copy placed in the Members Library.
Glossary:
LAA – Local Area Agreement
KEY MESSAGES FROM BLACKPOOL LAA SURVEY B – SUMMER 20081.1 Overall satisfaction with the way the Council runs things
NO CHANGE / In total, 37% of residents are satisfied with the way the Council runs things, including only 3% who are very satisfied. This represents a minor one percentage point decrease on results returned in Survey A and a 13 percentage point decrease on results returned in 2006. In contrast, three in 10 residents (34%; 30% in Survey A and 16% in 2006) are dissatisfied with a similar proportion (30%) ambivalent.
1.2 Quality of life in Blackpool
The most important aspect in making Blackpool a good place to live is the level of crime, with 48% of respondents selecting this option. The second most important is health services (43%) and the third is clean streets (42%).
NO CHANGE / The factors seen as most in need of improvement are the level of crime (53%) followed by road and pavement repairs (49%) and clean streets (43%).
Comparison of importance and improvement data highlights that the critical areas for improvement are: the level of crime; the cleanliness of streets; job prospects; road and pavement repairs and wage levels.
1.3 Participation
NO CHANGE / Three fifths (62%; 64% in Survey A) of respondents indicated that they are kept informed about services by Blackpool Council. Including one in eleven (9%) respondents who indicate that they are kept very well informed. When compared with the results returned in the previous survey, it is evident that responses have remained consistent.
RETURN TO 2006 LEVELS (BVPI 2006) / One quarter of residents (25%) are satisfied with the opportunities for participation in local decision making, contrasting with a larger proportion being dissatisfied (34%).
SLIGHT DECREASE / Approaching a third of residents (32%) are satisfied with the opportunities for participation in local decision making provided by the PACT meetings, contrasting with one in five (20%) who are dissatisfied. These results have remained consistent since the previous survey.
NO CHANGE / As was the case in Survey A, 28% of residents agree they can influence decisions affecting their local area. This result represents a four percentage point decrease since 2006 where 32% of residents agreed that they could influence local decision making.
1.4 Local volunteering
NO CHANGE / Three in 10 residents (30%) indicated that they have taken part in formal volunteering in the last 12 months, contrasting with 69% who have not. Respondents are most likely to volunteer by raising or handling money / taking part in sponsored events (9%), visiting people (7%) and organising or helping to run an activity or event (6%).
NO CHANGE / Among those who have volunteered, approaching half indicated that they volunteer at least once a week (48%). Half (50%) indicated that they volunteer for more than two hours a week with a lower proportion (41%) doing less than two hours.
1.5 Active recreation
NO CHANGE / In terms of the number of days within the last four weeks residents have taken part in physical activities, a third (32%) indicated that they have not taken part at all.
1.6 Satisfaction with the local area and Blackpool
NO CHANGE / Almost two thirds of (65%) of residents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live, including 16% who are very satisfied. This represents a 1 percentage point decrease on results returned in Survey A where 66% of residents were satisfied. Conversely, 21% of residents are dissatisfied with a further 14% being ambivalent.
NO CHANGE / Almost half of (48%) residents are satisfied with Blackpool as a place to live, including 12% who are very satisfied. In contrast, a third (33%) are dissatisfied with a further 15% being ambivalent.
1.7 The Council and community
NO CHANGE / Overall, respondents express relatively strong agreement that the council is making the local area a better place to live (56% agree a great deal/to some extent). However, perceptions are less strong in relation to working to make the area safer (46% a great deal / to some extent).
NO CHANGE / On the whole, residents agree that people from different backgrounds get on well together in their local area (71% and 73% in Survey A).
1.8 Other services
NO CHANGE / Seven in ten residents (71%; 68% in Survey A) indicated that they are satisfied with the parks and open spaces provided or supported by the Council whilst 13% said they are dissatisfied.
7% INCREASE / In terms of parks, open spaces and children’s play areas provided or supported by the Council for children and young people, 58% of residents are satisfied with these. This represents a seven percentage point increase on results returned in Survey A (51%).
6% INCREASE / More than half of residents (68%, 62% in Survey A) are satisfied with the library services provided by the Council for children and young people, including 22% who are very satisfied. However, 12% of residents are dissatisfied and a further 21% ambivalent.
NO CHANGE / Two fifths of respondents (42%, 44% in Survey A) are satisfied that the Council keeps all open public land it controls clear of litter and refuse. In contrast, three in 10 (33%) are dissatisfied with a further 25% ambivalent.
1.9 Public Safety
NO CHANGE / Whilst the majority of residents feel safe walking alone in their local area during the day (87%; 86% in Survey A), being alone in their home during the day (92% and 90% in Survey A) and after dark (80%, 81% in Survey A), only two in five (40%) residents feel safe walking alone in their local area after dark. This represents a two percentage point decrease in the proportion stating this in the previous survey.
NO CHANGE OR VERY SLIGHT INCREASES / More than half of respondents indicate that they are worried about; having their home broken into and something stolen (65%), being mugged or robbed (62%), being physically attached by strangers (56%), or being insulted or pestered in the street or other public places (56%).
The types of anti-social behaviour that are problematic to residents fall broadly into two groups:
NO CHANGE
OR
SLIGHT
INCREASES / · Those which a majority regard as a very or fairly big problem: parents not taking responsibility for the behaviour of their children (77%); people not treating others with respect and consideration (71%), teenagers hanging around on the street (67%), rubbish and litter lying around (59%), people using or dealing drugs (59%) and people being drunk or rowdy in public spaces (58%).
NO CHANGE / · Those which a majority of respondents do not regard as being a particular problem: abandoned or burnt out cars (93%), noisy neighbours or loud parties (72%), vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property or vehicles (59%).
4% INCREASE / Further to this, 41% of all respondents perceive a high level of anti-social behaviour. This represents a 4 percentage point increase since the previous survey (37%) and a 6 percentage points increase on results returned in 2006 (31%).
NO CHANGE / A quarter (26%) of residents indicated that they are informed about what is being done in Blackpool to tackle anti-social behaviour, including only 3% who are very well informed.
NO CHANGE / Less than a quarter of residents (21%) indicated that they are informed about what the Council is doing to tackle anti-social behaviour, including just 3% who are very well informed.
2. Corporate Performance
Respondents were asked, taking everything into account, how satisfied or dissatisfied they are with the way the authority runs things (Question 8).
NO CHANGE / In total, 37% (38% in survey A) of residents are satisfied with the way the Council runs things, including only 3% who are very satisfied. This represents a minor one percentage point decrease on results returned in survey A and a 13 percentage point decrease on results returned in 2006. In contrast, three in ten residents (34%; 30% in Survey A and 16% in 2006) are dissatisfied, with a similar proportion (30%) ambivalent.
Within Survey B, residents of non-working age are more likely to be satisfied than those of working age (49% compared with 28%). Those most likely to be satisfied are those living in the wards of Norbreck (45%) and Victoria (45%). These compare favourably to those living in Talbot ward (21%) where satisfaction levels are lowest.
Overall satisfaction levels with the way the authority runs things within the area forums have remained fairly static since the previous survey and have decreased since 2006 (see table below). Residents of Bispham and Revoe are most likely to be satisfied, whilst those of North Shore and South Shore are least satisfied. It is encouraging to note that since the previous survey (Survey A), satisfaction levels amongst those residing in Revoe have increased by 6 percentage points.
Table 1: Variation by Area Forum (Q8 – valid responses)
Satisfied
Survey B
% / Satisfied
Survey A
% / Satisfied
2006
%
Bispham (Survey A 257; Survey B 250) / 41 / 39 / 55
Layton (Survey A 150; Survey B 142) / 34 / 41 / 47
Marton (Survey A 184; Survey B 213) / 37 / 38 / 45
North Shore (Survey A 137; Survey B 131) / 33 / 32 / 47
Revoe (Survey A 133; Survey B 125) / 38 / 32 / 55
South Shore (Survey A 120; Survey B 118) / 30 / 40 / 54
* Area Forums as at year 2006
“Area Forums” refer to the geographies of six Area Forums (not the seven areas recently constituted and now in operation) in place at the time of the 2006 Best Value Performance Survey to which this survey refers back to for comparison purposes.
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