Community Voice Survey
November 2009
This is the first Community Voice since the recent refreshment of the Panel membership. This survey covers a broad range of topics including parks and open spaces, refuse collection and recycling, new housing development, pharmacies,money lending, energy bills and managing radioactive waste. If there are any questions where you feel unable to comment please feel free to skip past these.
We hope you find the survey interesting. If you have any questions or would like some help completing the form you can call Craigforth on freephone 0800 027 2245.
Your neighbourhood and home
Before we ask you about some specific aspects of where you live, we’d like to know how you feel about your home and local area.
Q1 / Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the following? Please circle ONE for eachVery satisfied / Fairly satisfied / Neither/
Nor / Fairly dissatisfied / Very dissatisfied / Don’t know/ Can’t say
Your local area as a place to live / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Your home as a place to live / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Your local parks and open spaces
Parks and open spaces are important in making somewhere a good place to live. We want to hear more about how you think we’re doing in this area.
Q2 / Without using a car or public transport, how easy is it for you to get to your nearest park or open space? Please circle ONE onlyVery easy / Fairly easy / Neither/ Nor / Fairly difficult / Very difficult
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Q3 / Think about the last 12 months, how frequently have you used a local park or open space (not including passing through them on the way somewhere else or for work)? Please circle ONE only
Most days / 1
At least once a week / 2
At least once a month / 3
Every few months / 4
Less than that / 5
Never / 6
Q4 / Thinking about the park or open space you visit most often, what kind of space is this?
Please circle ALL that apply
Large public park / 1 / Children’s playground / 4
Village green or common land / 2 / Open countryside / 5
Playing field or school field / 3 / Other (please write in box below) / 6
Other…
Q5 / Thinking about the park or open space you visit most often, why do you visit the space?
Please circle ALL that apply
Spend time with family/children / 1 / Participate in sport/exercise / 4
Exercise dog(s) / 2 / Relaxation / 5
Watch sports / 3 / Other (please write in box below) / 6
Other…
Q6 / Thinking about the park or open space that you visit most often how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the following? Please circle ONE for each
Very satisfied / Fairly satisfied / Neither/
Nor / Fairly dissatisfied / Very dissatisfied / Don’t know/ Can’t say
Cleanliness / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Children’s play facilities / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Lighting / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Grass cutting / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Plants and flowers / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Seating / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Rubbish bins / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Dog waste bins / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Personally feeling safe and confident / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Health and safety hazards / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Signs and notices / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Levels of anti-social behaviour / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Behaviour of young people using the park / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Behaviour of adults using the park / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Q7 / Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the quality of the parks and open spaces in your local area? Please circle ONE only
Very satisfied / Fairly satisfied / Neither/ Nor / Fairly dissatisfied / Very dissatisfied
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Q8 / What single thing would you do to improve the parks and open spaces in your local area?
Please write in your answer below.
Keeping your streets clean
We know that keeping the streets clean is an important issue, and that in some parts of the county many people think the council needs to do better. We’d like to hear a bit more about what you think so we can try and improve the things that matter to you.
Q9a / Think about your local area, how much of a problem are the following? Please circle ONE for eachMajor problem / Minor problem / Not a problem
1. Buildings in poor condition / 1 / 2 / 3
2. Poorly maintained grass verges / 1 / 2 / 3
3. Cracked or damaged pavements / 1 / 2 / 3
4. Boarded up/empty buildings / 1 / 2 / 3
5. Fly-posters / 1 / 2 / 3
6. Street furniture (benches, lampposts, signs etc) in poor condition / 1 / 2 / 3
7. General litter and rubbish on the streets / 1 / 2 / 3
8. Poorly maintained roads / 1 / 2 / 3
9. Fly-tipping / 1 / 2 / 3
10. Dog fouling / 1 / 2 / 3
11. Graffiti / 1 / 2 / 3
12. Chewing gum / 1 / 2 / 3
13. Litter specifically from take-aways / 1 / 2 / 3
14. Alcohol related mess (eg. vomit, urine, bottles and cans etc) / 1 / 2 / 3
15. Abandoned motor vehicles / 1 / 2 / 3
16. Criminal damage (example: damaged telephone boxes) / 1 / 2 / 3
Q9b / And which of these do you think are the top three problems in your area?
Please write a number in each of the three boxes - for example if you think Graffiti is the top problem write “11” in the box marked 1st.
1st / 2nd / 3rd
Q10 / Sometimes private land is allowed by its owners to become unsightly due to rubbish or litter accumulating. Would you agree or disagree that local councils should take action against private land owners to get them to clean up? Please circle ONE only
Strongly agree / Agree / Neither/ Nor / Disagree / Strongly disagree
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Q11 / Would you agree or disagree that local councils should do more to penalise people who drop litter or do not clean up after their dogs (eg through fixed-penalty fines)? Please circle ONE only
Strongly agree / Agree / Neither/ Nor / Disagree / Strongly disagree
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Q12 / The Environmental Protection Act 1990 allows local councils to set the fine for dropping litter at between £50 and £80. What level do you think the fine should be? Please circle ONE only
Less than £50 / 1 / £80 / 4
£50 / 2 / More than £80 / 5
£65 / 3
Q13 / Please tell us how well you think the council is performing in each of the following.
Please circle ONE for each
Excellent / Good / Average / Poor / Very Poor / Don’t know/ Can’t say
Mechanical road sweeping / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Pavement cleansing / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Cleaning of grass areas etc / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Frequency of litter bin emptying / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Road gully emptying / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Town centre cleansing (think about your nearest town centre) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Refuse collection and recycling
We’d like to hear more about what you think about your domestic refuse collection.
Q14 / Please tell us how well you think the Council is performing in each of the following.Please circle ONE for each
Excellent / Good / Average / Poor / Very Poor / Don’t know/ Can’t say
Attitude of your refuse collectors / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Information provided about the service by the council / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Reliability of refuse collection / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Frequency of refuse collection / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Bins being returned to location / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Removal of spillage/litter / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Ease of using bins and receptacles provided by the council / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Kerbside recycling scheme / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Recycling bring sites (e.g. at supermarkets) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Household waste recycling centres (tips) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Special assistance available to you (if required) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Q15 / And overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with you… Please circle ONE for each
Very satisfied / Fairly satisfied / Neither/
Nor / Fairly dissatisfied / Very dissatisfied / Don’t know/ Can’t say
…Refuse collection service / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
…Recycling services / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Q16 / Do you have any further comments you would like to make about your refuse collection or recycling service? Please write in your answer below.
Housing
The availability and affordability of housing that meets the needs of local people is a big issue in many parts of Cumbria. The following questions go into some more detail to help us find out what you think on some key issues.
Q17 / Thinking about your local area, which of the following statements is closest to your view on the following? Please circle ONE for eachToo many are being built / About the right number are being built / Not enough are being built
The number of affordable new homes being built / 1 / 2 / 3
The number of new homes - of any type - being built / 1 / 2 / 3
Q18 / To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements in relation to your local area? Please circle ONE for each
Strongly agree / Agree / Neither/ Nor / Disagree / Strongly disagree / Don’t know/ Can’t say
New housing developments should always include a proportion of “affordable housing” / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
More new housing should have restrictions on its sale to ensure they can only be bought by local people / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
More new housing should be built for rented accommodation / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
To meet housing need more building should be permitted on “greenfield” (previously undeveloped) sites / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Q19 / Do you have any further comments you would like to make about new housing development? Please write in your answer below.
Q20 / To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements regarding private rented accommodation? Please circle ONE for each
Strongly agree / Agree / Neither/ Nor / Disagree / Strongly disagree / Don’t know/ Can’t say
Private landlords should be forced to register with the council / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
If private landlords do not comply with relevant regulations their registration should be revoked and they should be prohibited from letting property / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Accessing health services
Q21 / Thinking aboutyour health in general, would you say it is… Please circle ONE onlyVery good / Good / Fair / Poor / Very poor
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Q22 / In the past 12 months have you had any difficulties accessing any healthcare service because of the following? Please circle ONE for each
Often / Occasionally / Not at all
Distance / 1 / 2 / 3
Lack of transport available / 1 / 2 / 3
Q23 / If you answered “Often” to either of the options at Q22, can you provide details of the difficulties you faced, including which healthcare service you were trying to access (eg GP surgery, dentist, local hospital)? Please write in your answer below.
Community pharmacies (chemists) play an important role within the NHS and in the community as a whole. NHS Cumbria is looking at ways to make it easier for people to access the services they provide.
Q24 / Would you be prepared to talk to your local pharmacist (chemist) about a minor illness rather than seeing your GP? Please circle ONE onlyHave done this before / Would consider this in future / Would never do this
1 / 2 / 3
Q25 / Thinking about the pharmacy (chemist) you usually use, how much of a problem for you are the following? Please circle ONE for each
Major problem, eg prevents you visiting personally / Minor problem, eg inconvenience but does not stop you visiting personally / Not a problem
Distance to travel / 1 / 2 / 3
Lack of public transport available / 1 / 2 / 3
Lack of parking / 1 / 2 / 3
Inconvenient opening hours / 1 / 2 / 3
Lack of disabled facilities / 1 / 2 / 3
Lack of private consultation area / 1 / 2 / 3
My own ability to get out the house without help / 1 / 2 / 3
Other problems (please write in below)
Q26 / If you are usually unable to attend the pharmacy (chemist) in person, how do you normally get your prescribed medicines? Please circle ALL that apply
Delivered by pharmacy / 1 / Not applicable / 3
Collected by family member/friend / 2 / Other (please write in box below) / 4
Other…
Q27 / And in your opinion what would be the most convenient location for a pharmacy (chemist)? Please circle ALL that apply
On the high street / 1 / Supermarket / 4
GP surgery / 2 / Hospital / 5
Leisure facility / 3 / Other (please write in box below) / 6
Other…
Your money - loan sharks
At this time when many people and families are struggling financially, councils would like to know more about your situation so they can do more to help. The question below (Q28) asks about illegal money lenders or Loan Sharks. To be clear, while lending money without being legally registered (“Loan sharking”) is illegal, the individual who receives a loan from a Loan Shark is NOT breaking the law. Your answers to these questions are strictly confidential.
Q28 / Have you ever borrowed money from… Please circle ONE for eachYes / No / Don’t know
A doorstep lending company (A person or company that is legally registered with the Office of Fair Trading to lend money)? / 1 / 2 / 3
An unregistered doorstep lender – often referred to as a “Loan Shark” / 1 / 2 / 3
If you need confidential help and advice about dealing with Loan Sharks you can call the Illegal Money Lending Team on 0300 555 2222 or email
Your money - credit unions
Q29 / At the moment, how well informed do you feel about the services that can be provided by Credit Unions? Please circle ONE onlyVery well informed / 1
Fairly well informed / 2
Not very well informed / 3
Not informed at all / 4
What are credit unions?
Credit unions are financial co-operatives owned and controlled by their members. They offer savings schemes and value loans plus they are local, ethical and know what their members want.
Credit Unions provide a safer and cheaper option for people to borrow money with much lower levels of interest compared to that of doorstep lenders and loan sharks. There are currently nine credit unions in Cumbria which cover towns on the west coast and Carlisle, there are plans underway to expand this coverage.
Q30 / Based on the information above, how interested would you be in becoming a member of a Credit Union if one covered your area? Please circle ONE onlyVery interested / Fairly interested / Not interested / Don’t know
1 / 2 / 3 / 4
You can find out more about Cumbria’s Credit Unions at or contact Debt Recovery and Money Advice (DRAMA) on 01900 607500
Your energy bills
In the current economic climate we know that household budgets are being stretched and that fuel bills can be a burden.
Q31 / How much would you agree or disagree with the following statement? Please circle ONE for eachStrongly agree / Agree / Neither/ Nor / Disagree / Strongly disagree / Don’t know/ Can’t say
At the moment I find it difficult to pay the energy bills (gas and electricity) for my home each month / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Q32 / How well informed do you feel about how you can reduce your energy bills at home? Please circle ONE only
Very well informed / Fairly well informed / Not very well informed / Not at all informed
1 / 2 / 3 / 4
The Cumbria Energy Efficiency Advice Centre (CEEAC) provides free, impartial energy efficiency advice for householders across the whole of Cumbria - or 0800 512 012
Your environment - managing radioactive waste safely
The Government has launched a search for the final home of the country’s higher activity radioactive wastes. The Government is asking communities across the country to talk to them about potentially hosting what will be called the 'Geological Disposal Facility'.
This is the start of a process that is anticipated to take several decades. Around 70% of the radioactive waste is already stored at Sellafield in West Cumbria. The three Councils from Allerdale, Copeland and CumbriaCounty have therefore started the early stages of this conversation with Government.
This is because wherever a site is chosen (either in Cumbria or somewhere else in the country) the waste will have to be transported from Sellafield and is likely to affect us: we should therefore be involved from the start. At this stage we have only committed to talking to Government: we can withdraw at any time.
It is very early in this process and at the moment the councils in Cumbria are gathering information from stakeholders and the general public to help them to decide whether they want to take further steps in the discussions with government or whether they should withdraw from the discussions.
Q33 / Before reading the information above were you aware that this process was underway?Please circle ONE only
Yes / No
1 / 2
Please note that you can find out more and keep up to date with all developments with this project at . The questions in this survey are just one part of the work the councils are doing to find out the views of local people. For more opportunities to have your say check the website.
Q34 / How interested would you say you are in this issue? Please circle ONE only
Very interested / Fairly interested / Not very interested / Not at all interested
1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Q35 / Given your current level of understanding about these issues, which of these statements would best reflect your current point of view? Please circle ONE only
I am opposed to storing radioactive waste in Cumbria and think the waste currently stored here should be moved out of the county / 1
I am opposed to storing more radioactive waste in the county but think we should leave what’s already here where it is / 2
I am unsure about the best solution but think that councils should continue to talk to government about the potential for developing a disposal facility in Cumbria (given 70% of the UK’s waste is already here), while retaining the right to withdraw from discussions / 3
I broadly support the idea of developing a disposal facility in Cumbria but have not made up my mind yet / 4
I think the development of a disposal facility would be a positive step for Cumbria / 5
None of the above statements reflect my opinion well enough / 6
Q36 / During this consultation process, how confident or not are you that the three councils involved…?
Please circle ONE for each
Very confident / Fairly confident / Not very confident / Not at all confident / Don’t know
…will keep local residents fully informed / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
… will take the views of local people into account / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
… really can pull out of the discussions with Government at any stage / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
THANK YOU FOR GIVING YOUR VIEWS