Life in Lancashire 13 th February 2008 Gary Welch, Ipsos MORI

2 Satisfaction with Lancashire CC Living in Lancashire Community Cohesion Local Democracy What I am covering today… Survey Methodology Council Services Council Communications Conclusions

Survey Methodology

4 Methodology Ipsos MORI interviewed a representative sample of 2,451 residents (aged 16+) across the Lancashire County Council area Interviews were carried out face-to-face between 15 September and 16 December 2007 using a randomly selected sample of 468 Output Areas (OA) Quotas were set by gender, age and working status, with a target of 200 interviews set for each of the 12 council districts The data were weighted by these factors, plus ethnicity, to match the mid-2006 Census profile The survey averaged 30 minutes in length Tracking findings from previous surveys carried out in 2000 and 2003

Living in Lancashire

% Dissatisfied% Satisfied Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007; 2003 (2,447); 2000 (2,493)Q1 Satisfaction with Lancashire QThinking about Lancashire, on the whole, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with it as a place to live? 41% very satisfied Overall satisfaction up nine points since 2000

7 District comparisons - net satisfaction with this area All Lancashire Ribble Valley Fylde Wyre South Ribble West Lancashire Chorley Preston Rossendale Hyndburn QThinking about this area, on the whole, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with it as a place to live? Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007Q2 Net difference from 2003 (±%) Pendle Burnley Lancaster +1

8 Area Satisfaction & Deprivation By District Net satisfaction with local area as a place to live Average Deprivation Score (IMD 2007) Burnley Ribble Valley Lancaster Fylde Wyre South Ribble Chorley West Lancs Rossendale Pendle Preston Hyndburn R 2 =

9 Net Satisfaction with Local Area: Comparison with other Counties Cumbria – Boundary Comm. (2004) Worcestershire (2006) Oxfordshire (2005) Shropshire (2006) Dorset (2005) Surrey (2003) Essex (2003) Derbyshire (2005) Bedfordshire (2006) Hampshire (2006) Northamptonshire (2002) Lancashire (2007) Northumberland (2003) Lancashire (2003) QHow satisfied or dissatisfied are you with this area as a place to live? Lancashire (2000)

10 QGenerally speaking, do you think that Britain as a place to live is getting better or worse or is it staying the same? Lancashire is bucking the national trend of increased grumpiness..! July 1998 May 2007 Staying the sameBetter Don’t knowWorse Base: 961 GB residents 18+, May 2007 Source: Ipsos MORI 40% 60% 3% 1%25% 24% 14% 33%

11 The good things about the area… Friendly neighbours/people Peace and quiet Openness/greenness/countryside Convenient for shops Centrally located Access to countryside Adequate public transport Good schools/education Safe/low crime rate Near friends/family QWhich three or four things, if any, would you say are good things about living in this area? Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007Q3 Top 10 mentions Net difference from 2003 (±%)

12 …and the bad things about the area Too much traffic Speed of traffic Poor facilities for young people Poor public transport Streets not clean enough Poor parking Unsafe area/high crime rate Vandalism/graffiti QWhich three or four things, if any, would you say are bad things about living in this area? Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007Q4 Top 8 mentions Net difference from 2003 (±%)

13 Priorities for Improving Quality of Life in Lancashire… Reduce crime and disorder Activities for young people Protect the environment Reduce harm from alcohol/drug misuse More affordable housing Improve leisure/cultural activities Involve local people in decision making Improve employment opportunities Help people live healthier lives QThinking about your quality of life, which two or three of the following things, if any, are most important to improve your own quality of life? Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007Q5 Net difference from 2003 (±%) Improve individual care/support services Improve education/learning services +1 Reduce traffic/transport problems +2

14 % Immigration/race relations Crime Education/schools NHS Defence/ Foreign Policy/ terrorism Pensions/ Social security Europe Economy Base: c. 1,000 adults 18+ each month QWhat would you say is the most important issue facing Britain today? What do you see as other important issues facing Britain today? Nationally - race and crime dominated concerns in Dec-06Jan-07Apr-07May-07Jun-07Jul-07Aug-07Sep-07Oct-07Dec-07 Nov-07

15 Some priorities significantly more likely to be mentioned in some districts….. Chorley S. Ribble West Lancs Fylde Preston Wyre Lancaster Ribble Valley Burnley Hyndburn Rossendale Pendle Crime & disorder Alcohol/Drugs Employment Opps Education/Learning Activities for young people Involve local people Protect the environment Care/support services Leisure/cultural activities Involve local people Traffic/transport Education/Learning Activities for young people Education/Learning Crime & disorder Help for Healthier Lives Care/support services Care/support services Affordable housing Crime & disorder Affordable housing

Community Cohesion

17 Interacting with people from of a different ethnic origin At local shops At work Restaurants, pubs, cinemas etc In my neighbourhood At a place of study On buses and trains At sports or fitness centres At a place of worship At a relative’s home At youth centres/clubs Somewhere else QIn which of these situations, if any would you say you regularly meet and talk with people of a different ethnic origin to you? None – I do not meet anyone from a different ethnic origin Don’t know/Not stated Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007Q19

18 People generally get on well together… Too few people in local area Definitely agree Don’t know Tend to disagree Definitely disagree Tend to agree Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007, 2003 (2,447) QTo what extent do you agree or disagree that this local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together? All same background The level of disagreement has not increased since 2003 (15% v 13%), but is significantly higher in Burnley (28%), Hyndburn (24%) and Pendle (22%) – all areas with relatively high proportions of BME residents 60% agree 53% agree Q20

Satisfaction with the County Council

20 Satisfaction with Lancashire County Council Neither/nor Very satisfied Fairly dissatisfied Fairly satisfied Very dissatisfied Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007 QOverall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with Lancashire County Council? Q21 Don’t know Not stated (*) 62% satisfied – up five percentage points from 57% in 2003

21 Satisfaction with Lancashire County Council increasingly slightly….. 13% % Dissatisfaction Satisfaction 62% Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007; 2003 (2,447); 2000 (2,493) 57% 58% 18%

22 Year surveyed QHow satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way your local council runs things? ….whilst it is declining outside of London Satisfied (BV3) Base: BVPI 2006 (149 Single/Upper Tier authorities and 74 District Ipsos MORI client authorities) Average London Boroughs County Districts

23 Net Satisfaction with Council: Comparison with other Counties Leicestershire (2001) Dorset (2005) QHow satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way the Council is running the area? Hampshire (2005) Derbyshire (2005) Hertfordshire (2006) Lancashire (2007) Worcestershire (2005) Lancashire (2000) Lancashire (2003) Shropshire (2006) Surrey (2003) Oxfordshire (2005) Kent (2001) Northamptonshire (2002)

Net Satisfaction with County Council – by district All Lancashire Ribble Valley Fylde Wyre South Ribble West Lancashire Chorley Preston Rossendale Hyndburn Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007Q21 Net difference from 2003 (±%) Pendle Burnley Lancaster +21 QOverall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with Lancashire County Council? Net satisfied

25 Image of LCC: Positive Statements QI am going to read out a list of statements about Lancashire County Council and I would like you to tell me how strongly you agree and disagree with each % Strongly agree % Tend to agree % Tend to disagree % Strongly Disagree The County Council is more modern than it used to be Overall, the quality of the County Council is good I feel I can trust Lancashire County Council The County Council does a good job of caring for local people The County Council gives residents good value for money Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007Q22 The County Council treats all parts of Lancashire fairly Change in Net Agree since 2003 (±%)

26 Quality of the Council is Good Overall: Comparison with other Counties Dorset (2005) Shropshire (2006) BV Pilots (2000) Hampshire (2006) Oxfordshire (2005) Northamptonshire (2002) Kent (2001) Bedfordshire (2006) Lancashire (2007) Lancashire (2003) QTo what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement “the quality of Council services is good overall Lancashire (2000) Derbyshire (2005) Net agree

27 Value for Money: Comparison with other Counties Hampshire (2006) Derbyshire (2005) BV Pilots (2000) Shropshire (2006) Oxfordshire (2005) Dorset (2005) Hertfordshire (2006) Kent (2001) Bedfordshire (2006) Northamptonshire (2002) Lancashire (2007) Buckinghamshire (2002) Lancashire (2003) Lancashire (2000) QTo what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement “the Council gives residents good value for money” Net agree

28 Image of LCC: Negative Statements QI am going to read out a list of statements about Lancashire County Council and I would like you to tell me how strongly you agree and disagree with each % Strongly agree % Tend to agree % Tend to disagree % Strongly Disagree The County Council is too remote and impersonal The County Council is not relevant to me Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007Q Change in Net Agree since 2003 (±%)

29 Remote and Impersonal: Comparison with other Counties Kent (2001) Bedfordshire (2006) Shropshire (2006) Dorset (2005) Buckinghamshire (2002) Derbyshire (2005) Oxfordshire (2005) Hampshire (2006) Northamptonshire (2002) Lancashire (2007) BV Pilots (2000) Lancashire (2003) Lancashire (2000) QTo what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement “the Council is too remote and impersonal”

County Council Services

31 Services for Adults For people with a disability % Satisfied For carers For adults with mental health problems % Dissatisfied For older people Base: All who have used or benefited from the service (52-359), 15-September – 16 December 2007 QAnd how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way each of these services is provided in your local area? For adults with learning disabilities Q24 Change from 2003 Change from N/A N/A -2

32 Services for Children and Young People Services for young people % Satisfied Services for vulnerable children and families % Dissatisfied Services for children with additional needs Base: All who have used or benefited from the service (46-662), 15-September – 16 December 2007 QAnd how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way each of these services is provided in your local area? Services for young offenders Q27 Change from 2003 Change from 2003 N/A N/A +5 +6

33 Services for Young People Primary schools % Satisfied Services for families and younger children Special schools % Dissatisfied Nursery schools Base: All who have used or benefited from the service (46-662), 15-September – 16 December 2007 QAnd how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way each of these services is provided in your local area? Secondary schools Q30 Change from 2003 Change from N/A +3 N/A -2

34 Community Services Libraries % Satisfied Registration of births, deaths and marriages Adult education % Dissatisfied Museums Base: All who have used or benefited from the service (150-1,426), 15-September – 16 December 2007 QAnd how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way each of these services is provided in your local area? Welfare rights County Information Centres Support for the arts Q33 Change from 2003 Change from

35 Net Satisfaction with Museums: Comparison with other Counties Dorset (2005) Hampshire (2006) Lancashire (2007) Lancashire (2000) Lancashire (2003) Shropshire (2006) BV Pilots (2000) Oxfordshire (2005) QAnd how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way each of these services is provided in your local area? - Museums

36 Environmental Services – Universal Street lighting % Satisfied Road safety Road maintenance % Dissatisfied Traffic management Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007 QAnd how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way each of the following are provided in your local area? Pavement maintenance Traffic calming measures Q36 Change from 2003 Change from

37 Environmental Services – Users Local tips/household waste recycling centres % Satisfied Footpaths, bridleways and rights of way Doorstep recycling collections % Dissatisfied Countryside recreation Base: All who have used or benefited from the service (502-2,003), 15-September – 16 December 2007 QAnd how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way each of the following are provided in your local area? Cycle facilities Q36 Change from 2003 Change from 2003 N/A +6 N/A N/A -5

38 Local Transport Services Local taxis % Satisfied Local bus services % Dissatisfied Local train services Base: All who have used or benefited from the service (933-2,320), 15-September – 16 December 2007 QAnd how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way each of the following are provided in your local area? Local road system Q41 Change from 2003 Change from

39 Most important services Services for older people Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007Q44 Net difference from 2003 (±%) -6 N/A N/A N/A -3 QWhich three or four of the services on this list do you think are most important for people in this area? Services for younger people Road maintenance and repairs Doorstep recycling collections Road safety Secondary schools Primary schools Traffic calming measures Pavement maintenance Local tips/recycling centres Top 10 mentions

40 Importance vs. Satisfaction with Services % Net Satisfaction Base: All respondents (importance), all service users (satisfaction) Museums Registration Libraries Families & younger Primary Schools Nursery Schools Waste disposal Special Schools Info Centres Countryside Welfare Adult Ed Sec. Schools Footpaths Street Lighting Doorstep recycling Services for young people Support for arts Services for older people Services for disabled Support for businesses Cycle Services for carers Learning disabilities Traffic management Mental Health Road safety Vulnerable children & families Planning Trading standards Pavement maintenance Road maintenance Traffic calming Services for young offenders % Importance Services performing well against the Ipsos MORI norms include:  Nursery, primary and secondary schools  Libraries  Museums  Local bus services

41 QIn which of these areas, if any, do you think the County Council’s performance has got better over the last three years? And in which has it got worse? % Has got worse% Has got better Performance v. Corporate Objectives Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007Q46a/46b Ensuring effective transport Raising educational standards Protecting the environment Caring for vulnerable people Tackling crime and disorder Encouraging economic development Managing waste disposal Protecting the consumer Working to reduce climate change Net difference from 2003 (±%) N/A N/A Net difference from 2003 (±%)

Communications

QHow well informed do you think Lancashire County Council keeps residents about the services and benefits it provides? % Limited amount of info/not much at all % Very/fairly well informed Residents are more informed Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007; 2003 (2,447); 2000 (2,493)Q47 A positive finding - But residents are still more likely to feel uninformed than informed…

44 Level of Information: Comparison with other Counties Hampshire (2006) Derbyshire (2005) Essex (2003) Shropshire (2006) Oxfordshire (2005) Dorset (2005) Hertfordshire (2006) Surrey (2003) Bedfordshire (2006) Northamptonshire (2002) Lancashire (2007) Buckinghamshire (2002) Lancashire (2003) Lancashire (2000) QHow well informed do you think the Council keeps you about the services and benefits it provides? Worcestershire (2005) Net Informed

45 Drivers of Reputation among Local Residents (LGA Reputation Project) Perceived VFM Roads/Street cleaning/liveability Media coverage/mood Direct communication Positive experiences of contact with staff Greatest drivers of overall satisfaction Weaker drivers of overall satisfaction Perceived quality of services overall Two areas we can directly affect locally

46 Local Newspaper Readership QWhich, if any, of these have you read or looked at for at least two minutes in the past month? % Mentions Any Local Citizen Vision Any Local Reporter None of these Any Local Champion Ormskirk Midweek Advertiser Other N/A +2 Q50Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007 Net difference from 2003 (±%)

47 % Never receive Vision Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007; 2003 (2,447)Q51 QThere is a free newspaper published by Lancashire County Council called Vision that is delivered in your area. How often does Vision arrive through your door? Increased Recall of Vision % Receive Vision

48 Those who are informed are more satisfied…. Very/fairly well informed (985) % Satisfied Read/seen Vision (1,622) % Dissatisfied Limited information/doesn’t tell us much (1,295) Base: In brackets Not read/seen Vision (823) Q21 QOverall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with Lancashire County Council?

Local Democracy

50 Influencing decisions in local area Don’t know Definitely agree Not stated (*) Tend to disagree Tend to agree Definitely disagree Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007 QDo you agree or disagree that you can influence decisions affecting your local area? Is that definitely/tend to agree/ disagree? Q17 62% disagree 31% agree

51 QWhich of these statements comes closest to your own attitude towards Lancashire County Council? I’m not really interested in what the County Council does, or whether it does its job I’m not interested in what the County Council does as long as it does its job I would like to have more of a say in what the County Council does Local Democracy - Encouraging Involvement I like to know what the County Council is doing, but I’m happy to let it get on with the job I already work for, or am involved with the County Council Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007Q55 Net difference from 2003 (±%)

52 The Role of County Councillors - Top Mentions Listen to views of local people Deal with complaints/problems Work with local communities to improve services Keep informed about LCC activities Represent local views to bus/govt Review and plan local services QWhich of the following do you think it is most important for your local County Councillors to do? Maintain ethical standards Scrutinise County Council decisions Reflect backgrounds of local comm. Take decisions about LCC services N/A Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007Q56 Net difference from 2003 (±%)

53 QLCC has introduced a number of ways to involve local people with their county councilors. Which of the following, if any, have you heard about? Mobile Unit Cabinet Question Time Webcasts Awareness of ways to get involved Lancashire Local committees County councillor surgeries None of these Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007Q57

54 Interest in ways of getting involved QHow interested, if at all, are you in each of the following…? % Not at all interested % Not very interested % Fairly interested % Very interested Webcasts Mobile Unit Cabinet Question Time Lancashire Local committees County council surgeries Base: 2,451 Lancashire residents aged 16+, 15-September – 16 December 2007Q58

Conclusions

56 Conclusions On a corporate level, the results are very encouraging Overall satisfaction has increased at a time when the trend for upper tier authorities is a downward one (as seen in the BVPIs) Positive opinion is outweighing negative on key metrics such as agreement that the quality of council services is good overall, resdients trust you more, they think you are doing a good job There is still room for improvement though For other key image measures, such as value for money, negative opinion outweighs positive Work to do on comms - residents remain more likely to feel uninformed than informed

57 Conclusions The County Council needs to do more to convince residents that it is moving communities in the right direction – for the majority of objectives we asked about, there was low awareness of the impact the Council is having Tackling crime is a particular issue that needs to be addressed further Finally, the difference in satisfaction with local area between districts, plus the differences in priorities for improvement between them, point to a need for tailored local partnership working

58 Thank you For further information contact on