Executive Summary of Findings
1.Residents continue to view Hampshire as a good place to live
As in 1999 and 2002, almost nine in ten Hampshire residents are satisfied with the county as a place to live. This figure compares very favourably with other counties studied by MORI, and far exceeds most non-county areas, which tend to have much lower satisfaction ratings.
Residents’ perceptions of good and bad aspects of the area have also remained relatively consistent since 1999. Hampshire’s tranquillity and the easy access it provides to the coast and the countryside are consistently named as the best aspects of the county. After coming to the fore as an issue in 2002, the speed and the amount of traffic continues to top residents’ list of bad things about the area.
The proportion of residents who feel safe walking alone during the day and after dark has increased slightly since 2002. Just over 7 in 10 (71%) feel safe during the day almost 6 in 10 (57%) feel safe after dark. Level of fear about walking alone after dark in Hampshire is almost exactly the same as the national average.
Almost half (46%) of Hampshire residents exercise three times per week or more, while only 14 per cent never undertake any sport or exercise.
2. Residents’ priorities for the future
Residents’ priorities for improving quality of life strongly reflect the issues raised as bad things in the area, with almost a quarter of residents (23%) citing more facilities for teenagers as a priority and 22 per cent mentioning less congested roads.
These concerns are reflected in the residents’ spending priorities for council services.
There has been some change in the importance of certain quality of life indicators have shifted since 1999. The reliability of bus services has diminished as an issue, while the affordability of housing has increased as a concern.
Listening to the needs of the community continues to be the top priority for the Council and its partners to achieve, with over half of residents (51%) identifying this as a goal.
Almost all (94%) of residents agree that they have a responsibility to care for the environment, but there is less agreement about the best way to take action to achieve this, with opinion divided on whether personal freedoms should be restricted and tax should be increased in order to protect the environment.
3. Satisfaction with Hampshire County Council almost back at 1999 levels
In line with the national pattern in recent years, satisfaction with Hampshire County Council was lower in 2002 than 1999. Hampshire remains one of the most highly-rated councils in the country.
On a variety of measures of satisfaction with the Council and assessments of its image, ratings range from good to excellent in comparison to other councils.
While a significant minority view the Council as friendly and efficient, larger minorities describe it as faceless and bureaucratic. Additionally, the number of people describing the Council negatively continues to rise and the number of people describing it positively continues to fall.
The has been little movement in the extent to which residents believe the Council achieves its corporate objectives, but there have been small increases in the numbers saying that the Council achieves its public transport and healthy living objectives.
4. Excellent customer care ratings maintained
The department contacted most and reasons for contacts have remained very similar since 2001, with Planning remaining the most commonly contacted department and reporting an issue or problem the most prevalent reason for making contact.
There appears to be a latent demand to contact the Council by email. While only five per cent of residents say they are most likely to contact the Council by email, 13 per cent say that it would be their preferred method of contact.
The Council has maintained its record of very high customer care scores and continues to perform very strongly in this area in comparison to other county councils and neighbouring local authorities.
5. Communications continue to improve
Since 1999, the proportion of residents who feel that the Council keeps them informed about the services and benefits that it provides has increased by ten per cent. Almost half (47%) of residents now feel informed.
The importance of residents feeling informed about the Council’s activity is illustrated by the significantly more positive attitudes towards the Council found among those who feel well informed about its work. Over three-quarters (76%) of residents who feel well informed think that the quality of service provided by the Council is good overall, compared to not quite a third (32%) of those who do not feel well informed.
6. Perceptions of public service delivery remain broadly positive
The services that are regarded most favourably among residents as a whole continue to be:
Recycling facilities (79% satisfied);
Libraries and archives (76%)
Street lighting (74%)
Countryside sites and parks (74%)
The services that residents are most dissatisfied with have also remained constant:
Facilities for young people (47% dissatisfied)
Road maintenance (42%)
Pavement maintenance (40%)
Dealing with younger offenders (31%)
Local bus service (28%)
The services with most satisfied users are:
Primary schools (88% satisfied)
Libraries and archives (88%)
Heritage sites and museums (86%)
Those with the most dissatisfied users are:
Facilities for young people (53% dissatisfied)
Services offering short-term residential and respite care (39%)
Local bus services (35%)
Recycling facilities remain the most widely-used council service, with almost three-quarters (73%) of residents saying they use the service. Over half (57%) of residents use libraries and archives and almost half (46%) use country footpaths and bridleways.
Residents cite services for older and younger people as the most important services provided by the Council. Both services are named by more than four in ten residents as one of the most important council services.
Particular attention should be paid to services that are considered important but receive low satisfaction scores. Facilities for young people, dealing with young offenders, road maintenance and services for the elderly all fall into this category.
7. Community involvement and democratic participation
A clear majority of residents (54%) continue to agree that they like to know what the Council is doing, but are happy to let them get on with their job.
The proportion of residents claiming to know the name of their county councillor has increased from 17 to 22 per cent since 2002 as has the proportion who say they always vote in local council elections, from 46 to 49 per cent. However, in MORI’s experience, both these claims tend to receive exaggerated levels of endorsement by residents.