Survey reveals low crime, clean streets, public transport and affordable housing to be important place attributes

The 2008 Place Survey provides information on people's perceptions of their local area and the local services they receive. A first set of results from the survey were released by the Department in June 2009. It also suggests that the public would like local councils to demonstrates the importance of strengthening local democracy.

The latest results from the Place Survey - based on more than 500,000 people's views and perceptions about where they live - demonstrated how important it was for councils to listen to local people and act on their behalf. Results, as with previous surveys, focused on results relating to the 18 National Indicators for local government and questions relating to satisfaction with local services, perceived value for money and overall satisfaction with local services.

View survey results online

The latest release summarises the remaining data from the survey, such as citizens' priorities for their local area, further information on the perceived quality of local services and more information about crime and anti-social behaviour.
The key points from the latest release are:

• The most important things that people thought made an area a good place to live included the level of crime (cited by 61 per cent of people), clean streets (45 per cent), health services (44 per cent), affordable decent housing (33 per cent), and public transport (32 per cent).
• The things that people thought most needed improving in their local area included activities for teenagers (cited by 46 per cent of people), road and pavement repairs (41 per cent), the level of traffic congestion (36 per cent), the level of crime (31 per cent) and clean streets (28 per cent).
• 71 per cent of people agreed local public services treat all types of people fairly. 64 per cent agreed that local public services are working to make the local area safer and 66 per cent agreed they were working to make the area cleaner and greener.
• 42 per cent of people agreed that local public services promote the interests of local residents and 44 per cent agreed that local public services act on the concerns of local residents.
• 39 per cent felt very well or fairly well informed about local public services.
  The highest levels of awareness related to how to register to vote (90 per cent) and how council tax is spent (62 per cent).
• The lowest levels of awareness related to what to do in a large-scale emergency (15 per cent) and how to get involved in local decision-making (32 per cent).
• 4 per cent of people have been involved in decision-making groups relating to education or health in the previous 12 months and 3 per cent involved with groups relating to regeneration, crime, tenants, or young people.
• 6 per cent of people have been a member of other groups making decisions on services in the local community in the previous 12 months.
• 51 per cent of people feel very safe or safe after dark when outside in their local area.
• Of all the different types of anti-social behaviour, teenagers hanging around the streets caused the most concern with 43 per cent of people thinking that this was a very big or fairly big problem in their local area.
• 37 per cent of people think that rubbish or litter lying around was a very big or fairly big problem in their local area.
  33 per cent of people think vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property or vehicles was a very big or fairly big problem in their local area.