A major new national survey on what people think of their local area and council demonstrates the importance of renewing local democracy, said Communities Secretary John Denham today. Mr Denham said the results of the Place Survey – based on more than 500,000 people’s views and perceptions about where they live – demonstrates the importance of listening to local people and what they want for their local area.
As part of the Government’s wider drive to personalise services around the needs of the individual, CLG is taking forward the Total Place project. The pilot project is being tested in 13 areas and will reveal how all public money is being spent on services in those places, what it is delivering, and how expenditure can be better shaped around what people want.
The first ever national Place Survey shows responses from over half a million people aged 18 or over from all across the country to questions about their local community, the public services they receive, their views on their councils, and how engaged they feel in decisions affecting their lives.
The headline findings of the survey were:
– 80 per cent are satisfied with their local area as a place to live
– 45 per cent were, taking everything into account, satisfied with the way their local council runs things
– 33 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that their local council provided value for money
– 29 per cent felt they could influence decisions in their local area
– 27 per cent would like to be more involved in decisions affecting their community
– In the last 12 months, 14 per cent of the population had been involved in local decision making
http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1262763
