## Polling On Resident Satisfaction With Councils July 2016

 

 

## Acknowledgements

The Local Government Association (LGA) Research and Information Team would like to thank Populus Data Solutions for their input to this work. We would also like to thank all the participants who took part in the polling. 

## 

 To view more research from the Local Government Association Research and Information team please visit: http://www.local.gov.uk/local-government-research

## Introduction

This report outlines the fourteenth set of results in a series of regular Local Government Association (LGA) public polls on resident satisfaction with local councils, conducted every four months.1 With the publication of *Are You Being Served*2 - a set of resident satisfaction questions that councils can choose to use in their local surveys and benchmark themselves against other authorities - the LGA has responded to demand from the sector for more intelligence in this area. Our national polling complements councils' local work by regularly looking at the national picture. Tracking national changes in satisfaction with councils alongside questions on other related issues about residents' local areas can provide valuable information on what is driving resident perceptions and, therefore, what councils can do to serve their local communities better. Many additional factors will influence resident views of councils at a local level, including local demographics. It is important, therefore, that polling results are seen as complementary to a wider approach aimed at understanding and responding to communities at a local level. Comparison against national polls provides context and trends, and helps to identify possible relationships with other variables, but councils could include additional questions in their local surveys and conduct other engagement activities. Analysis of this information might help diagnose what other factors are driving satisfaction levels locally.  

## Methodology

Between 23 and 26 June 2016, a representative random sample of 1,001 British adults (aged 18 or over) was polled by telephone.3  
Respondents were given the following preamble at the outset:  
"I would like to ask you some questions about your local council. Local councils are responsible for a range of services such as refuse collection, street cleaning, planning, education, social care services and road maintenance. If you live in an area with more than one council please think about the way in which they deliver services to you overall. This would include district and county councils. We are doing this to keep the survey simple as it is part of a national study." 
The full interview script is included in Annex D for information. Where the questions cover the same topics as the *Are You Being Served*2 question set, the same question ordering, wording, definitions and preamble have been used to allow comparability.4 Where tables and figures report the base, the description refers to the group of people who were asked the question. The number provided refers to the unweighted number of respondents who answered each question. This is the fourteenth round of polling in this series, and the paper examines trends since the first round in September 2012.5 Differences between results are only highlighted within the report where this is statistically significant.6 Please note the following when reading the report: 

 Throughout the report percentages in figures and tables may add to more than 
100 due to rounding.  
 The following conventions are used in tables: '*' - less than 0.5 per cent; '0' - 
no observations; '-' - category not applicable/data not available. 

## Key Findings

The LGA's June 2016 poll did not find any significant changes concerning its six key indicators of resident satisfaction since its last poll in February. Although the results for each indicators were slightly higher than in the previous poll, opinion did not vary enough between the two polls to indicate a meaningful change in residents' satisfaction with their local area and local council. Figure 1 shows the June results compare to all others since 2012. 

Looking at the polling results over the last 12 months, satisfaction was particularly high in September 2015. Indeed, trust in one's local council, and agreement that one's local council acts on the concerns of local residents, hit their highest level across all 13 polls. Agreement that one's council provides value for money also peaked in the September 2015 poll (matched only by our first poll in September 2012).  
In this round, just over two-thirds of respondents were satisfied, overall, with the way their local council runs things (68 per cent). This is consistent with most other polls since July 2014 (barring a spike in September 2015).  
Five out of the eight services provided by local councils, asked about in the poll, saw slight increases in satisfaction since the previous poll in February 2015, but none of these were statistically significant. It is worth noting that, while services and support for older people saw a one percentage point increase in this poll, overall satisfaction stood at one of the lowest levels recorded (45 per cent - the lowest level is 44 per cent reported in July 2014 and February 2016). Similarly, overall satisfaction with services and support for children and young people stood at one of its lowest levels 
(49 per cent - a previous low of 47 per cent was reported in June 2015). Of the three services where satisfaction dropped (although not significantly), overall satisfaction with street cleaning stood at its lowest level ever in this poll (69 per cent - previous scores have been between 71 and 76 per cent). This poll also recorded the lowest level of satisfaction with library services (61 per cent - previous scores have been between 62 and 71 per cent). Overall satisfaction with waste collection also dropped in this poll, but the same figure (or lower) was reported in four previous polls. There have been a small number of significant changes in the polling results since September 2012, and the notable changes in this round are highlighted below:  

 While overall satisfaction with one's local area as a place to live saw no 
significant change since the last poll (standing at 82 per cent), there was a significant increase in the proportion of residents who were 'very satisfied' compared to three previous polls.  
 The previous poll saw overall satisfaction with the way one's local council runs 
things council drop to its lowest ever level across all 13 polls; satisfaction rose by two percentage points in this poll (reaching 68 per cent). 
 Fifty one cent of respondents agreed, overall, that their local council provides 
value for money. Compare to June 2015, there was a significant increase in the proportion of residents who 'strongly agreed' that their council provides value for money (and also among those who gave a neutral reply). 
 The proportion of respondents who said, overall, their local council acts on the 
concerns of local residents dropped to its lowest level in the last poll; satisfaction rose by four percentage points in this poll (reaching 61 per cent). 
 The proportion of respondents who said, overall, their local council keeps 
residents well informed about its services and benefits dropped to its lowest level in the last poll; satisfaction rose by two percentage points in this poll (reaching 63 per cent). 
 Sixty three per cent of respondents said they trusted their council 'a great deal' 
or 'a fair amount' - a four percentage point increase from the previous poll. 
 Seventy two per cent of respondents said they trusted their local council the 
most (compared to 'the government') to make decisions about how local 
services are provided in their local area - this is a significantly lower proportion than in the previous two polls (and also than polls in January 2014 and July 2014).   
 Seventy one per cent of respondents said they trusted local councillors the 
most (compared to 'members of parliament', 'government ministers' or 'none of these') to make decisions about how services are provided in their local 
area - this a significantly lower proportion than in January 2014 when the question was first introduced. 
 As in previous rounds, most respondents said they felt safe in their local area. 
Seventy nine per cent said they felt 'very safe' or 'fairly safe' after dark, which 
is consistent with previous rounds. Further, respondent feelings of safety during the day in their local area also remain very high, with 95 per cent saying that they felt 'very safe' or 'fairly safe' (which is significantly higher than the previous poll). 
 This round saw no significant changes in satisfaction across the eight council 
services asked about in this poll. The most notable changes were: 
o Satisfaction with road cleaning is at 69 per cent - the lowest level 
recorded over the 14 polls.  
o Satisfaction with library services is at 61 per cent - the lowest level 
recorded over the 14 polls. 
o The median score for satisfaction with services and support for older 
people across all 14 polls is 49 per cent. In this round, overall satisfaction was at 45 per cent, which is one of the lowest scores recorded. 
o The median score for satisfaction with services and support for children 
and young people across all 14 polls is 51 per cent. In this round, 
overall satisfaction was at 49 per cent, which is one of the lowest scores recorded. 
 

## Polling On Resident Satisfaction With Councils

This section outlines the full set of polling results. 

## Overall Satisfaction With Local Area

The vast majority of respondents were positive about their local area as a place to live - with 82 per cent 'very satisfied' or 'fairly satisfied' in June 2016. This is a similar level to that seen in previous rounds (see Figure 2).  
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 

## Overall Satisfaction With Local Council

Satisfaction among respondents with the way their local councils run things has stood at between 67 and 72 per cent for the last three years. In this round, 68 per cent of respondents were 'very satisfied' or 'fairly satisfied'. There was a significantly higher proportion who were 'neither satisfied nor dissatisfied' compared to most other polls, however, those who were dissatisfied overall has dropped from a peak in the last poll (see Figure 3). 

 

## Value For Money

In the first round of polling in September 2012, and again in September 2015, 56 per cent of respondents 'tended to agree' or 'strongly agreed' that their local council provided value for money, significantly higher than most rounds. In this round, the proportion who agreed that their council provides value for money stands at 51 per cent (see Figure 4). 

## Council Responsiveness

This is an important measure of local accountability as it looks at whether councils are perceived to be responsive to local issues and problems. As Figure 5 shows, in this round, 61 per cent of respondents said that their council acts on the concerns of local residents either a great deal or a fair amount.    

## Informed About The Council

The proportion of respondents who said that their local council keeps residents 'very well informed' or 'fairly well informed' about the services and benefits it provides has remained stable in 2015 and 2016. However, the proportion of residents who were 'very well informed' or 'fairly well informed' stood at 63 per cent in this round, lower than the high of 69 per cent in January 2013 and other rounds in the same year. In addition, respondents who felt they were 'not very well informed' has also been higher in the past two polls than for 2013 results (see Figure 6 and Annex 1). 


## Trust

Levels of trust in councils have been fairly consistent since polling started in September 2012 and rose significantly in September 2015. However, as Figure 7 shows, in this round, the proportion of respondents who said that they trusted their council 'a great deal' or 'a fair amount' stands at 63 per cent, which is a more typical level. 

A new question was introduced in the July 2013, looking at public trust in local councils to make decisions about how services are provided in their local area, compared to their trust in the government.  
Figure 8 shows that the vast majority of respondents said, of the two, they trusted their local council most to make decisions about how services are provided in their local area. In the most recent poll, 72 per cent said they most trusted their local council; a drop since the September 2015 and February 2016 peak. The proportion of respondents who trusted the government most is much lower, at 16 per cent. 

 
A new question was also introduced in the January 2014 asking which individuals were most trusted by respondents to make decisions about how services are provided in their local area. As Figure 9 shows, local councillors remain by far the most trusted group, with 71 per cent of respondents stating that they most trusted local councillors to make decisions about services compared to members of parliament and also government minsters. This is similar to most previous rounds. 

## Community Safety

Most respondents said they felt safe in their local area. Seventy nine per cent said they felt 'very safe' or 'fairly safe' after dark, this is similar to recent rounds and significantly higher than the 75 per cent who said they felt 'very safe' after dark in September 2012 (see Figure 10). 

As Figure 11 shows, respondent feelings of safety during the day in their local area also remains high, with 95 per cent saying that they felt 'very safe' or 'fairly safe' - a similar level to previous rounds. This includes 62 per cent of respondents who said that they feel 'very safe' and 33 per cent who feel 'fairly safe'. 

## Service Specific Satisfaction

Respondents were invited to indicate how satisfied or dissatisfied they were with the following key services: 

 waste collection  street cleaning  road maintenance  pavement maintenance  library services  sport and leisure services  services and support for older people  services and support for children and young people 
Respondents' views remained positive for the majority of services in this round (see Figure 12). As in all previous rounds, levels of satisfaction with waste collection was higher than overall satisfaction with how the council runs things; 81 per cent were fairly or very satisfied with waste collection, compared to 68 per cent for overall satisfaction with the way one's local council runs things (Figure 2). Street cleaning historically also had a high level of satisfaction, but it is now in line with overall satisfaction at 69 per cent. 

Road maintenance and pavement maintenance continue to have the highest levels of dissatisfaction. In this round, 44 per cent were very or fairly dissatisfied with road maintenance, whilst 31 per cent were very or fairly dissatisfied with pavement maintenance. As Figure 13 shows, levels of satisfaction with specific services have remained fairly stable since the polling began in September 2012, although several notable changes were observed in this round. Tables showing the full set of service-specific satisfaction results can be found at Annex A. 

## Significant Changes Are:

 **Street cleaning**: Satisfaction in June 2016 has dropped to 69 per cent, which 
is lower than all previous polls (overall satisfaction was at least 71 per cent for all other polls).  
 **Road maintenance**: Satisfaction has dropped significantly since the 
September 2015 poll which stood at 48 per cent, the highest peak in satisfaction, now at 43 per cent it is similar to levels observed for most other polls. 
 **Library services**: Satisfaction has reduced to 61 per cent, significantly lower 
than most other polls and in line with a lower level of satisfaction first seen in June 2015. There has been a significant increase in respondents who are 'neither satisfied nor dissatisfied', at 22 per cent it is higher than all previous rounds except June 2015.   
 **Sport and leisure services**14: After a peak in September 2015, satisfaction is 
again in line with previous polls (now at 64 per cent), but there has been a significant drop in those 'very dissatisfied' from on average six per cent down to four per cent. 
 **Services and support for older people**: Satisfaction has dropped 
significantly since previous rounds (now at 45 per cent compared to values of over 49 per cent). There has also been a significant increase of those answering 'neither satisfied nor dissatisfied' (now at 33 per cent); as there has also been a decrease in those who are dissatisfied. This could reflect that many respondents will not have direct experience of this service.  
 **Services and support for children and young people**: Satisfaction this year 
is significantly lower than the September 2015 poll (which stood at 55 per cent) - its highest peak. It is now at 49 per cent. Again, it is worth noting that many respondents will not have direct experience of this service and the 
proportion answering 'neither satisfied nor dissatisfied' (26 per cent) or 'don't know' (nine per cent) reflects this.   
 
No significant change: 

 **Waste collection**: Satisfaction remains at the 80 per cent level, as in all polls 
except June 2015 when it stood at 77 per cent.  
 **Pavement maintenance**: Satisfaction remains at the 50 per cent level, as in 
most previous polls (significant variations have been observed in three other polls) 
 
 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 

## Use Of Services

Respondents were asked whether they, or someone in their immediate family, had used any public services that are provided, or supported, by their council in the last 12 months. The most used services by respondents or their immediate family were 'parks and open spaces' (75 per cent), 'waste/recycling' (66 per cent) and 
'roads/parking/pavement' (57 per cent). The least used services were 'environmental health' (for example noise control and pest control) (10 per cent), 'trading standards/consumer protection' (fair trading) (10 per cent) and 'children and families support', including children's centres (11 per cent). Full results are available in Annex B. 

## The Media

Respondents were asked whether, overall, they thought that the media had viewed the following organisations positively or negatively in the last few months: 

 the government  local councils across the country  their own local council. 
As with the previous rounds of polling, on balance, respondents said the media had relayed positive or neutral, rather than negative, messages about local government. National government fared less on this measure.  
Regarding the government, the proportion of respondents observing positive coverage was 15 per cent, significantly lower than most previous rounds, this mirrors an increase in observed negative coverage (currently at 56 per cent up from 40 per cent in February 2016). When asked about one's own council, perceptions of media coverage have remained fairly consistent, with the majority observing positive or neutral coverage. Currently: 

 Twenty eight per cent of respondents observe generally positive coverage of 
their own local council - an increase on the last poll which stood at 22 per cent - but lower compared to most previous rounds. Forty six per cent answered 'neither positively nor negatively'. 
 Nineteen per cent of respondents observe generally positive coverage of local 
councils across the country - an increase on the drop seen in the last poll which stood at 15 per cent - but lower than some previous rounds. Forty one 
per cent answered 'neither positively nor negatively'. 
Figure 14 shows the proportion of respondents who said that media coverage had been positive, since September 2012. Table 1 show the results for all answer options since October 2013; the full set of figures can be found at Annex A. 

## Figure 14: Overall, Do You Think That The Media Has Viewed The Following Positively In The Last Few Months?


Round: 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
 
Oct 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Feb 
Jun 
Sep 
Feb  
Jun 
2013 
2014 
2015 
2016 
% 
Positively 
20 
24 
16 
19 
17 
22 
29 
27 
23 
15 
The 
Government 
Neither positively/ negatively 
20 
23 
29 
26 
30 
29 
29 
27 
34 
26 
Negatively 
54 
49 
51 
54 
49 
47 
40 
43 
40 
56 
2 
3 
3 
3 
Don't 
know 
5 
4 
4 
2 
4 
2 
Positively 
24 
26 
22 
21 
19 
22 
23 
24 
15 
19 
Local councils 
across the country 
Neither 
positively/ negatively 
29 
28 
39 
36 
42 
34 
43 
41 
50 
41 
Negatively 
34 
37 
30 
36 
32 
40 
30 
29 
29 
33 
5 
Don't 
know 
13 
9 
9 
7 
7 
5 
6 
6 
7 
Positively 
36 
37 
32 
35 
31 
33 
32 
35 
22 
28 
Your local council 
Neither positively/ negatively 
30 
32 
40 
36 
43 
39 
44 
41 
53 
46 
Negatively 
25 
24 
21 
23 
19 
23 
19 
18 
20 
20 
4 
Don't 
know 
9 
7 
7 
6 
7 
5 
5 
6 
7 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 

## Cuts To Local Council Services

A new question was introduced in February 2015 asking respondents how concerned, if at all, they were about the effects of cuts to local council services on them and their family in the next 12 months. Table 2 shows, in this round, 66 per cent were very or fairly concerned - a significant increase compared to the previous round but in line with other rounds.  

you and your family in the next 12 months? 
| Round:                                                    | 10    | 11    | 12    | 13    |   14  |
|-----------------------------------------------------------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|
| Feb                                                       | Jun   | Sep   | Feb   | Jun   |       |
| 2015                                                      | 2016  |       |       |       |       |
| %                                                         |       |       |       |       |       |
|                                                           |       |       |       |       |       |
| 66                                                        |       |       |       |       |       |
| Very or fairly                                            |       |       |       |       |       |
| concerned                                                 | 72    | 68    | 68    |       |       |
| 61                                                        |       |       |       |       |       |
| Very concerned                                            | 34    | 34    | 33    | 24    |   28  |
| Fairly concerned                                          | 38    | 34    | 35    | 36    |   38  |
| Not very concerned                                        | 18    | 21    | 21    | 26    |   21  |
| Not concerned at all                                      | 10    | 10    | 11    | 13    |   12  |
| Don't know                                                | *     | *     | *     | *     |    1  |
| Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 |       |       |       |       |       |

## Annex A: Time Series Data Overall Satisfaction With Local Area

 
Round: 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
Sep 
Jan16 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Feb 
Jun 
Sep 
Feb 
Jun 
2012 
2013 
2014 
2015 
2016 
 
% 
Very or fairly satisfied 
84 
84 
82 
85 
84 
83 
82 
80 
82 
80 
 82 
83 
81 
82 
Very satisfied 
34 
28 
34 
34 
34 
30 
28 
31 
29 
28 
31 
37 
31 
33 
Fairly satisfied 
50 
57 
48 
51 
50 
53 
54 
50 
53 
52 
51 
46 
50 
49 
 
Neither satisfied 
nor dissatisfied 
9 
9 
9 
8 
9 
7 
10 
9 
8 
8 
9 
8 
8 
9 
Fairly dissatisfied 
5 
4 
5 
4 
4 
5 
6 
6 
5 
7 
6 
6 
8 
6 
Very dissatisfied 
2 
2 
3 
3 
3 
5 
2 
5 
4 
5 
3 
3 
3 
3 
Don't know 
0 
* 
1 
* 
* 
0 
* 
0 
* 
* 
0 
* 
- 
* 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 


                                                
in the table have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Please note that this may also occur in other parts of the report where answer categories are combined.  
 

## Overall Satisfaction With Local Council

 
Round: 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
Sep 
Jan17 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Feb 
Jun 
Sep 
Feb 
Jun 
2012 
2013 
2014 
2015 
2016 
 
% 
Very or fairly satisfied 
72 
72 
70 
72 
69 
70 
70 
67 
68 
67 
67 
71 
66 
68 
Very satisfied 
19 
16 
20 
18 
19 
15 
16 
14 
16 
16 
16 
21 
15 
18 
Fairly satisfied 
53 
57 
50 
54 
50 
55 
54 
54 
52 
51 
50 
50 
50 
50 
 
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 
12 
13 
13 
12 
14 
13 
16 
15 
16 
13 
16 
13 
12 
17 
Fairly dissatisfied 
10 
9 
9 
8 
10 
10 
8 
11 
9 
11 
10 
9 
14 
10 
Very dissatisfied 
4 
4 
7 
6 
6 
6 
6 
7 
6 
8 
6 
7 
8 
5 
Don't know 
1 
2 
2 
1 
1 
* 
1 
* 
1 
* 
1 
* 
* 
* 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 

 
                                                 
17 Whilst the individual 'very' or 'fairly' answer options displayed in Table A1 for January 2013 appear to sum to 73 per cent, this is due to the fact the figures in the table have been rounded to the nearest whole number.  
 

## Value For Money

 
|                            |      |      | Round:    | 1    | 2    | 3    | 4    | 5    |
|----------------------------|------|------|-----------|------|------|------|------|------|
| 6                          | 7    | 8    | 9         | 10   | 11   | 12   | 13   | 14   |
| Sep                        | Jan  | Apr  | Jul       | Oct  | Jan  | Apr  | Jul  | Oct  |
| 2012                       | 2013 | 2014 | 2015      | 2016 |      |      |      |      |
|                            |      |      |           |      |      |      |      |      |
| Strongly or tend to agree  | 56   | 51   | 51        | 52   | 51   | 53   | 48   | 49   |
| Strongly agree             | 10   | 9    | 11        | 11   | 12   | 9    | 11   | 12   |
| Tend to agree              | 46   | 42   | 40        | 42   | 39   | 44   | 37   | 37   |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 21   | 29   | 25        | 26   | 25   | 23   | 31   | 27   |
| Tend to disagree           | 15   | 11   | 13        | 13   | 13   | 14   | 15   | 13   |
| Strongly disagree          | 6    | 7    | 7         | 8    | 8    | 9    | 7    | 9    |
| Don't know                 | 2    | 2    | 4         | 2    | 2    | 1    | 1    | 2    |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 
Council responsiveness 

 
Round: 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
Sep 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Feb 
Jun 
Sep 
Feb 
Jun 
2012 
2013 
2014 
2015 
2016 
 
 
A great deal or fair amount 
62 
60 
61 
63 
62 
61 
A great deal 
8 
9 
10 
8 
10 
8 
9 
9 
9 
10 
8 
10 
9 
9 
A fair amount 
54 
52 
51 
54 
52 
53 
53 
52 
52 
53 
51 
54 
48 
52 
Not very much 
28 
27 
26 
25 
27 
28 
27 
29 
28 
27 
31 
27 
31 
29 
Not at all 
5 
6 
7 
7 
7 
7 
8 
9 
7 
7 
7 
7 
9 
6 
Don't know 
5 
7 
6 
5 
5 
3 
3 
1 
3 
2 
3 
1 
3 
3 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 

                                                 

% 
% 
 
62 
61 
61 
63 
59 
65 
57 
61 

## Informed About The Council

provides? 
Round: 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
Sep 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Feb 
Jun 
Sep 
Feb 
Jun 
2012 
2013 
2014 
2015 
2016 
 
Very or fairly well informed 
66 
69 
65 
66 
66 
66 
65 
64 
66 
64 
61 
63 
61 
63 
Very well informed 
17 
17 
17 
15 
17 
14 
14 
15 
15 
14 
12 
16 
13 
16 
Fairly well informed 
49 
52 
48 
51 
49 
51 
51 
49 
51 
49 
49 
47 
48 
47 
Not very well informed 
25 
23 
23 
22 
22 
23 
25 
25 
24 
25 
28 
26 
27 
28 
Not well informed at all 
8 
6 
9 
10 
9 
11 
9 
11 
9 
11 
11 
10 
10 
8 
Don't know 
1 
2 
2 
1 
2 
1 
1 
* 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
* 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 

## Trust

 
|                      |      |      | Round:    | 1    | 2    | 3    | 4    | 5    |
|----------------------|------|------|-----------|------|------|------|------|------|
| 6                    | 7    | 8    | 9         | 10   | 11   | 12   | 13   | 14   |
| Sep                  | Jan  | Apr  | Jul       | Oct  | Jan  | Apr  | Jul  | Oct  |
| 2012                 | 2013 |      |           |      |      |      |      |      |
| 2014                 | 2015 | 2016 |           |      |      |      |      |      |
|                      |      |      |           |      |      |      |      |      |
| A great deal or fair |      |      |           |      |      |      |      |      |
| amount               | 61   | 62   | 60        | 61   | 61   | 61   | 61   | 59   |
| A great deal         | 10   | 7    | 9         | 9    | 10   | 8    | 8    | 8    |
| A fair amount        | 51   | 55   | 51        | 53   | 51   | 52   | 53   | 51   |
| Not very much        | 26   | 27   | 28        | 25   | 26   | 26   | 28   | 29   |
| Not at all           | 10   | 8    | 10        | 11   | 12   | 12   | 10   | 11   |
| Don't know           | 2    | 3    | 2         | 2    | 1    | 1    | 1    | 1    |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 
  

 
% 
% 

 

 
Round: 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
Jul 
Oct 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Feb 
Jun 
Sep 
Feb 
Jun 
2013 
2014 
2015 
2016 
% Your local council(s) 
70 
71 
77 
72 
80 
73 
75 
72 
76 
77 
72 
The government 
14 
11 
13 
16 
14 
15 
19 
17 
15 
14 
16 
Neither 
13 
16 
8 
11 
5 
10 
6 
11 
7 
8 
11 
Don't know 
3 
2 
2 
2 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 
 
area?20 
Round: 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
Jan  
Apr  
Jul 
Oct  
Feb 
Jun 
Sep 
Feb 
Jun 
2014 
2015 
2016 
% Local councillors 
76 
73 
75 
72 
73 
70 
75 
74 
71 
Members of parliament 
9 
9 
13 
11 
12 
14 
12 
12 
12 
Government ministers 
6 
8 
7 
7 
10 
7 
6 
7 
8 
None of the above 
8 
8 
4 
8 
4 
7 
5 
6 
7 
Don't know 
2 
2 
1 
2 
2 
2 
1 
1 
2 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 

 
19 'Neither' was not read out to respondents as an answer option but the interviewer could code it if it was given spontaneously. 

20 'None of the above' was not read out to respondents as an answer option but the interviewer could code if it was given spontaneously 

## Community Safety

 
Round: 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
 
Sep 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Feb 
Jun 
Sep 
Feb 
Jun 
2012 
2013 
2014 
2015 
2016 
% 
Very or fairly safe 
75 
76 
78 
77 
78 
78 
79 
79 
79 
79 
80 
79 
78 
79 
Very safe 
27 
30 
32 
33 
34 
32 
31 
33 
34 
35 
37 
37 
38 
34 
Fairly safe 
48 
46 
46 
45 
45 
46 
47 
46 
46 
44 
43 
42 
41 
45 
Neither safe nor unsafe 
8 
9 
8 
8 
9 
9 
9 
9 
9 
8 
9 
9 
9 
8 
Fairly unsafe 
12 
9 
8 
10 
7 
9 
7 
7 
7 
9 
7 
7 
8 
8 
Very unsafe 
3 
4 
4 
4 
4 
4 
5 
5 
4 
4 
3 
4 
4 
3 
Don't know 
1 
2 
2 
1 
1 
* 
1 
* 
1 
* 
* 
* 
* 
1 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 
 

                                                 

 
Round: 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
 
Sep 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Feb 
Jun 
Sep 
Feb 
Jun 
2012 
2013 
2014 
2015 
2016 
% 
Very or fairly safe 
95 
95 
96 
95 
95 
94 
94 
95 
94 
94 
96 
94 
93 
95 
Very safe 
60 
62 
65 
66 
66 
62 
63 
62 
63 
65 
68 
67 
63 
62 
Fairly safe 
35 
33 
31 
29 
29 
32 
32 
33 
31 
29 
28 
27 
30 
33 
 
 
Neither safe nor unsafe 
3 
3 
2 
2 
3 
3 
3 
3 
3 
3 
2 
4 
5 
3 
Fairly unsafe 
2 
2 
1 
1 
* 
2 
2 
1 
2 
2 
2 
2 
2 
1 
Very unsafe 
* 
* 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
* 
* 
1 
* 
Don't know 
0 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
0 
* 
* 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 

 
                                                 
22 Local area was defined as "the area within 15 - 20 minutes walking distance from your home". 

 

## Service Specific Satisfaction

would like you to tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied you are overall with your council's... 
Round: 
… waste collection23 
 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
Sep 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Feb 
Jun 
Sep 
Feb 
Jun 
2012 
2013 
2014 
2015 
2016 
 
Very or fairly satisfied 
83 
86 
84 
84 
83 
80 
81 
80 
83 
80 
77 
82 
81 
80 
Very satisfied 
45 
45 
48 
43 
44 
41 
41 
39 
41 
42 
39 
44 
41 
39 
Fairly satisfied 
37 
41 
36 
41 
39 
39 
39 
41 
42 
38 
38 
38 
40 
41 
Neither satisfied nor 
dissatisfied 
5 
4 
4 
4 
4 
5 
6 
4 
4 
4 
5 
6 
5 
6 
Fairly dissatisfied 
7 
5 
7 
8 
7 
10 
8 
8 
6 
9 
9 
7 
9 
10 
Very dissatisfied 
5 
5 
5 
5 
5 
5 
6 
7 
7 
7 
8 
5 
5 
4 
Don't know 
1 
* 
* 
* 
1 
0 
* 
0 
* 
* 
* 
* 
- 
* 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 
 

                                                 
23 Note that in September 2012 respondents were asked about 'refuse collection'. 

% 
 
| Table A11 continued…                                      |                    |      |      |      |
|-----------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|------|------|------|
| Round:                                                    | … street cleaning  |      |      |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |      |      |
| 1                                                         | 2                  | 3    | 4    | 5    |
| Sep                                                       | Jan                | Apr  | Jul  | Oct  |
| 2012                                                      | 2013               | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|                                                           | Very or fairly     |      |      |      |
| satisfied                                                 | 74                 | 73   | 76   | 74   |
| Very satisfied                                            | 27                 | 26   | 30   | 27   |
| Fairly satisfied                                          | 47                 | 47   | 46   | 48   |
| Neither satisfied nor                                     |                    |      |      |      |
| dissatisfied                                              |                    |      |      |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |      |      |
| 6                                                         | 10                 | 8    | 8    | 7    |
| Fairly dissatisfied                                       |                    |      |      |      |
| 12                                                        | 10                 | 9    | 10   | 10   |
| Very dissatisfied                                         |                    |      |      |      |
| 7                                                         | 6                  | 7    | 7    | 7    |
| Don't know                                                |                    |      |      |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |      |      |
| 1                                                         | 2                  | 1    | 1    | 1    |
| Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 |                    |      |      |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |      |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |      |      |
| Table A11 continued…                                      |                    |      |      |      |
|                                                           | … road maintenance |      |      |      |
| Round:                                                    |                    |      |      |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |      |      |
| 1                                                         | 2                  | 3    | 4    | 5    |
|                                                           |                    |      |      |      |
| Sep                                                       | Jan                | Apr  | Jul  | Oct  |
| 2012                                                      | 2013               | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|                                                           | Very or fairly     |      |      |      |
| satisfied                                                 | 46                 | 46   | 40   | 45   |
| Very satisfied                                            | 12                 | 11   | 10   | 10   |
| Fairly satisfied                                          | 35                 | 35   | 30   | 35   |
| Neither satisfied nor                                     |                    |      |      |      |
| dissatisfied                                              |                    |      |      |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |      |      |
| 10                                                        | 12                 | 8    | 11   | 9    |
| Fairly dissatisfied                                       |                    |      |      |      |
| 24                                                        | 22                 | 22   | 23   | 26   |
| Very dissatisfied                                         |                    |      |      |      |
| 19                                                        | 20                 | 28   | 20   | 22   |
| Don't know                                                |                    |      |      |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |      |      |
| *                                                         | 1                  | 1    | 1    | 1    |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 

% 
 
% 
| Table A11 continued…                                      |                    |      |
|-----------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|------|
|                                                           |                    |      |
| … pavement maintenance                                    |                    |      |
| Round:                                                    | 1                  | 2    |
|                                                           |                    |      |
| Sep                                                       | Jan                | Apr  |
| 2012                                                      | 2013               | 2014 |
| %                                                         |                    |      |
| Very or fairly                                            |                    |      |
| satisfied                                                 | 58                 | 57   |
| Very satisfied                                            | 15                 | 13   |
| Fairly satisfied                                          | 43                 | 44   |
| Neither satisfied nor                                     |                    |      |
| dissatisfied                                              |                    |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |
| 9                                                         | 12                 | 11   |
| Fairly dissatisfied                                       |                    |      |
| 19                                                        | 19                 | 18   |
| Very dissatisfied                                         |                    |      |
| 13                                                        | 10                 | 15   |
| Don't know                                                |                    |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |
| 1                                                         | 2                  | 1    |
| Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 |                    |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |
| Table A11 continued…                                      |                    |      |
|                                                           | … library services |      |
| Round:                                                    |                    |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |
| 1                                                         | 2                  | 3    |
|                                                           |                    |      |
| Sep                                                       | Jan                | Apr  |
| 2012                                                      | 2013               | 2014 |
| %                                                         |                    |      |
| Very or fairly                                            |                    |      |
| satisfied                                                 | 67                 | 69   |
| Very satisfied                                            | 34                 | 29   |
| Fairly satisfied                                          | 34                 | 40   |
| Neither satisfied                                         |                    |      |
| nor dissatisfied                                          |                    |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |
| 10                                                        | 12                 | 11   |
| Fairly dissatisfied                                       |                    |      |
| 7                                                         | 5                  | 6    |
| Very dissatisfied                                         |                    |      |
| 3                                                         | 3                  | 3    |
| Don't know                                                |                    |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |
| 12                                                        | 11                 | 10   |
| Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 |                    |      |
|                                                           |                    |      |
| Table A11 continued…                                      |                                         |      |
|-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|------|
|                                                           | … sport and leisure services            |      |
| Round:                                                    |                                         |      |
|                                                           |                                         |      |
| 1                                                         | 2                                       | 3    |
|                                                           |                                         |      |
| Sep                                                       | Jan                                     | Apr  |
| 2012                                                      | 2013                                    | 2014 |
| Very or fairly                                            |                                         |      |
| satisfied                                                 | 63                                      | 63   |
| Very satisfied                                            | 21                                      | 19   |
| Fairly satisfied                                          | 42                                      | 43   |
| Neither satisfied                                         |                                         |      |
| nor dissatisfied                                          |                                         |      |
|                                                           |                                         |      |
| 13                                                        | 16                                      | 14   |
| Fairly dissatisfied                                       |                                         |      |
| 11                                                        | 8                                       | 8    |
| Very dissatisfied                                         |                                         |      |
| 5                                                         | 5                                       | 5    |
| Don't know                                                |                                         |      |
|                                                           |                                         |      |
| 8                                                         | 9                                       | 9    |
| Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 |                                         |      |
|                                                           |                                         |      |
| Table A11 continued…                                      |                                         |      |
|                                                           | … services and support for older people |      |
| Round:                                                    |                                         |      |
|                                                           |                                         |      |
| 1                                                         | 2                                       | 3    |
|                                                           |                                         |      |
| Sep                                                       | Jan                                     | Apr  |
| 2012                                                      | 2013                                    | 2014 |
| Very or fairly                                            |                                         |      |
| satisfied                                                 | 49                                      | 48   |
| Very satisfied                                            | 10                                      | 13   |
| Fairly satisfied                                          | 39                                      | 35   |
| Neither satisfied                                         |                                         |      |
| nor dissatisfied                                          |                                         |      |
|                                                           |                                         |      |
| 19                                                        | 21                                      | 21   |
| Fairly dissatisfied                                       |                                         |      |
| 9                                                         | 8                                       | 9    |
| Very dissatisfied                                         |                                         |      |
| 4                                                         | 5                                       | 5    |
| Don't know                                                |                                         |      |
|                                                           |                                         |      |
| 18                                                        | 18                                      | 17   |
| Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 |                                         |      |
|                                                           |                                         |      |
% 
 
18 
17 
16 
17 
19 
16 
19 
19 
% 
 
27 
31 
25 
28 
28 
26 
28 
33 

## … Services And Support For Children And Young People

Round: 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
 
Sep 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Feb 
Jun 
Sep 
Feb 
Jun 
2012 
2013 
2014 
2015 
2016 
% 
Very or fairly satisfied 
53 
51 
53 
50 
53 
48 
49 
49 
51 
51 
47 
55 
48 
49 
Very satisfied 
14 
14 
15 
15 
14 
14 
11 
16 
12 
13 
12 
16 
12 
13 
Fairly satisfied 
39 
38 
38 
35 
39 
34 
38 
33 
40 
38 
35 
38 
36 
36 
 
Neither satisfied 
nor dissatisfied 
15 
19 
16 
17 
18 
24 
23 
26 
21 
24 
26 
21 
26 
26 
Fairly dissatisfied 
10 
7 
9 
10 
9 
11 
10 
12 
9 
9 
12 
9 
11 
11 
Very dissatisfied 
6 
7 
6 
8 
5 
7 
6 
7 
8 
9 
5 
8 
7 
5 
Don't know 
16 
16 
15 
15 
15 
10 
12 
6 
10 
7 
9 
7 
9 
8 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 
 

 

## Media Coverage

 
The Government 
Round: 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
 
Sep 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Feb 
Jun 
Sep 
Feb 
Jun 
2012 
2013 
2014 
2015 
2016 
% 
Positively 
19 
16 
18 
22 
20 
24 
16 
19 
17 
22 
29 
27 
23 
15 
Neither positively nor negatively 
23 
28 
29 
20 
20 
23 
29 
26 
30 
29 
29 
27 
34 
26 
Negatively 
54 
50 
46 
52 
54 
49 
51 
54 
49 
47 
40 
43 
40 
56 
Don't know 
4 
6 
7 
6 
5 
4 
4 
2 
4 
2 
2 
3 
3 
3 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 
 
 
Local councils across the country 
Round: 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
 
Sep 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Feb 
Jun 
Sep 
Feb 
Jun 
2012 
2013 
2014 
2015 
2016 
% 
Positively 
23 
19 
22 
25 
24 
26 
22 
21 
19 
22 
23 
24 
15 
19 
Neither positively nor negatively 
30 
38 
39 
25 
29 
28 
39 
36 
42 
34 
43 
41 
50 
41 
Negatively 
34 
31 
27 
34 
34 
37 
30 
36 
32 
40 
30 
29 
29 
33 
Don't know 
13 
12 
12 
16 
13 
9 
9 
7 
7 
5 
5 
6 
6 
7 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 
 
 
Your local council 
Round: 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
 
Sep 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Jan 
Apr 
Jul 
Oct 
Feb 
Jun 
Sep 
Feb 
Jun 
2012 
2013 
2014 
2015 
2016 
% 
Positively 
33 
28 
33 
37 
36 
37 
32 
35 
31 
33 
32 
35 
22 
28 
Neither positively nor negatively 
34 
43 
41 
27 
30 
32 
40 
36 
43 
39 
44 
41 
53 
46 
Negatively 
21 
18 
17 
24 
25 
24 
21 
23 
19 
23 
19 
18 
20 
20 
Don't know 
12 
11 
9 
13 
9 
7 
7 
6 
7 
5 
4 
5 
6 
7 
Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 
 
 
services provided or supported by your council in the last 12 months… 
| Round:                                                                      | 13    | 14    |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------|-------|
|                                                                             | Feb   | Jun   |
| 2016                                                                        |       |       |
| %                                                                           |       |       |
| Advice services                                                             |       |       |
| Yes                                                                         |       |       |
| 23                                                                          | 21    |       |
| No                                                                          |       |       |
| 76                                                                          | 79    |       |
| Don't know                                                                  |       |       |
| 1                                                                           | *     |       |
| Care for the elderly by social services                                     |       |       |
| Yes                                                                         |       |       |
| 15                                                                          | 12    |       |
| No                                                                          |       |       |
| 85                                                                          | 88    |       |
| Don't know                                                                  |       |       |
| *                                                                           | *     |       |
| Care for other adults (disabled, mental health problems) by social services |       |       |
| Yes                                                                         |       |       |
| 16                                                                          | 15    |       |
| No                                                                          |       |       |
| 83                                                                          | 85    |       |
| Don't know                                                                  |       |       |
| *                                                                           | *     |       |
| Children and families support, including children's centres                 |       |       |
| Yes                                                                         |       |       |
| 12                                                                          | 11    |       |
| No                                                                          |       |       |
| 87                                                                          | 88    |       |
| Don't know                                                                  |       |       |
| 1                                                                           | 1     |       |
| Education/schools                                                           |       |       |
| Yes                                                                         |       |       |
| 38                                                                          | 34    |       |
| No                                                                          |       |       |
| 62                                                                          | 66    |       |
| Don't know                                                                  |       |       |
| *                                                                           | *     |       |
| Environmental health (e.g. noise and pest control)                          |       |       |
| Yes                                                                         |       |       |
| 16                                                                          | 10    |       |
| No                                                                          |       |       |
| 84                                                                          | 90    |       |
| Don't know                                                                  |       |       |
| *                                                                           | *     |       |
| Housing/social housing/council housing                                      |       |       |
| Yes                                                                         |       |       |
| 22                                                                          | 16    |       |
| No                                                                          |       |       |
| 78                                                                          | 83    |       |
| Don't know                                                                  |       |       |
| *                                                                           | 1     |       |
| Sport and leisure facilities                                                |       |       |
| Yes                                                                         |       |       |
| 47                                                                          | 44    |       |
| No                                                                          |       |       |
| 53                                                                          | 56    |       |
| Don't know                                                                  |       |       |
| *                                                                           | *     |       |
| Libraries                                                                   |       |       |
| Yes                                                                         |       |       |
| 52                                                                          | 45    |       |
| No                                                                          |       |       |
| 48                                                                          | 55    |       |
| Don't know                                                                  |       |       |
| *                                                                           | -     |       |
| Local museums and galleries                                                 |       |       |
| Yes                                                                         |       |       |
| 37                                                                          | 37    |       |
| No                                                                          |       |       |
| 63                                                                          | 63    |       |
| Don't know                                                                  |       |       |
| *                                                                           | *     |       |
| Local theatres/concert halls                                                |       |       |
| Yes                                                                         |       |       |
| 43                                                                          | 38    |       |
| No                                                                          |       |       |
| 56                                                                          | 62    |       |
| Don't know                                                                  |       |       |
| 1                                                                           | *     |       |
| Parks and open spaces                                                       |       |       |
| Yes                                                                         |       |       |
| 80                                                                          | 75    |       |
No 
20 
25 
Don't know 
* 
- 
Planning services and building control 
Yes 
16 
16 
No 
83 
84 
Don't know 
1 
* 
Public transport information 
Yes 
60 
51 
No 
40 
49 
Don't know 
* 
* 
Roads/parking/pavement 
Yes 
64 
57 
No 
35 
43 
Don't know 
* 
* 
Support for local businesses 
Yes 
18 
15 
No 
81 
84 
Don't know 
1 
1 
Trading standards/consumer protection 
Yes 
11 
10 
No 
88 
89 
Don't know 
1 
1 
Waste/recycling 
Yes 
76 
66 
No 
24 
34 
Don't know 
- 
- 

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 
 

## Annex B: Polling Questions

I would like to ask you some questions about your local council.  Local councils are responsible for a range of services such as refuse collection, street cleaning, planning, education, social care services and road maintenance. If you live in an area with more than one council please think about the way in which they deliver services to you overall. This would include district and county councils. We are doing this to keep the survey simple as it is part of a national study. 

## 1. Overall, How Satisfied Or Dissatisfied Are You With Your Local Area As A Place To Live?

Please consider your local area to be the area within 15–20 minutes walking distance from your home Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Fairly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Don't know 
2. Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way your local council(s) runs things? Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Fairly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Don't know 
3.  In considering the next question, please think about the range of services your local council(s) provides to the community as a whole, as well as the services your household uses. It does not matter if you do not know all of the services your local council(s) provides to the community. We would like your general opinion. 

To what extent do you agree or disagree that your local council(s) provides value for money? Strongly agree Tend to agree Neither agree nor disagree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don't know 
4. To what extent do you think your local council(s) acts on the concerns of local residents? A great deal A fair amount Not very much Not at all Don't know 
5. Overall, how well informed do you think your local council(s) keeps residents about the services and benefits it provides?   
 
Very well informed Fairly well informed Not very well informed Not well informed at all Don't know 
6. How much do you trust your local council(s)? A great deal A fair amount Not very much Not at all Don't know 7. Who do you trust most to make decisions about how services are provided in your local area? SELECT ONE ANSWER OPTION ONLY 
RANDOMISE ORDER 
 
Your local council(s) The government Neither (not read out but the interviewer can code if given spontaneously) Don't know 
8. And which individuals do you trust most to make decisions about how services are provided in your local area? SELECT ONE ANSWER OPTION ONLY 
RANDOMISE ORDER 
 
Local councillors Members of parliament Government ministers None of the above (not read out but the interviewer can code if given spontaneously) Don't know 
9a. How safe or unsafe do you feel when outside in your local area after dark? 

Please consider your local area to be the area within 15 - 20 minutes walking distance from your home Very safe 
 
Fairly safe 
 
Neither safe nor unsafe 
 
Fairly unsafe  
 
Very unsafe Don't know 
9b. How safe or unsafe do you feel when outside in your local area during the day? 

Please consider your local area to be the area within 15 - 20 minutes walking distance from your home Very safe 
 
Fairly safe 
 
Neither safe nor unsafe 
 
Fairly unsafe  
 
Very unsafe Don't know 
10. I am going to read out a number of different types of services that are provided by your council(s) in your area.  I would like you to tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied you are overall with your council's… Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Fairly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Don't know RANDOMISE ORDER Waste collection Street cleaning Road maintenance Pavement maintenance Library services Sport and leisure services Services and support for older people Services and support for children and young people 11. Thinking about your local area, which THREE things are most important to you and your family? 

 SELECT UP TO THREE ANSWER OPTIONS RANDOMISE ORDER Waste collection Street cleaning Condition of roads/pavements Library services Local high street facilities Job prospects Public transport Sport and leisure services Services and support for older people Facilities/services for children and young people (not including schools) Housing Schools Consumer protection and environmental health (e.g. rogue traders, noise) Levels of crime and anti-social behaviour None of the above (not to be read out but coded if given spontaneously and no options selected above) Don't know 
12.  Have you, or someone in your immediate family, used any of the following public services provided or supported by your council in the last twelve months. Yes/No/Don't know Advice services (including on benefits and council tax) Care for the elderly by social services Care for other adults (disabled, mental health problems) by social services Children and families support, including children's centres Education/schools Environmental health (for example, noise control and pest control) Housing/social housing/council housing Sport and leisure facilities Libraries Local museums and galleries Local theatres/concert halls Parks and open spaces Planning services and building control (for example, planning permission) Public transport information Roads/parking/pavements Support for local businesses Trading standards/consumer protection (fair trading) Waste/recycling 
15. Overall, do you think that the media has viewed the following positively or negatively in the last few months? Positively Neither positively nor negatively Negatively Don't know RANDOMISE ORDER 
 
The Government Local council(s) across the country Your local council 
 
16. 

How concerned, if at all, are you about the effects of cuts to local council services on you and your family in the next 12 months? Very concerned Fairly concerned Not very concerned Not concerned at all Don't know 

 
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