Southend Residents' Perception Survey 2021
Consultation has concluded
Residents’ Perception Survey 2021
The 2021 Residents’ Perception Survey took place between July and September 2021 and gathered 1,206 responses. The aim of this research was to gather fresh insight into residents’ perceptions of their local area, community interactions and resident behaviours. It also sought views on Southend-on-Sea City Council’s performance.
The council has split Southend-on-Sea into four localities (see map below). This is to support the co-ordination of integrated health and social care interventions within the community. The four localities are:
- West
- West Central
- East Central
- East
The survey content was closely aligned with the Southend 2050 ambition, therefore key survey results have been aligned with their main themes within the 2050 ambition.
Key survey findings:
Overall satisfaction with Southend-on-Sea City Council
- Just over half (54%) of respondents are satisfied with how the council runs things, with 28% dissatisfied. By area, satisfaction varies significantly, from 61% among residents in the East locality, to 47% in the West Central locality.
- Respondent opinion is split in terms of whether the council offers value for money, with 33% agreeing that it does and 35% disagreeing.
Pride and Joy
- The majority (72%) of respondents are satisfied with their local area, however across the city, there is substantial variation, with eight in ten residents satisfied with their local area in the West locality (83%) compared to just over half in the East Central locality (58%).
- When considering satisfaction with certain services, respondents are most satisfied with parks and open spaces (80%), refuse collection (77%) and recycling services (73%). Respondents are most dissatisfied with pavement maintenance (68%), road maintenance (61%) and support and services for rough sleepers (49%).
- The pandemic period has increased the importance of a number of local issues. In particular, parks and open spaces (69%), addressing crime and antisocial behaviour (68%) and clean, safe streets for exercise (64%) were highlighted as having become more important to respondents.
- Three quarters (75%) of respondents are willing to take action to help the council achieve net zero carbon, but only 25% are aware of the council’s plan to make Southend a green city.
Safe and Well
- The majority (81%) of respondents feel safe during the day, however, fewer than half feel safe after dark (43%). Residents in the West locality are the most likely to feel safe after dark (55%), while those living in other parts of the city are significantly less likely to feel as safe (40% or less).
- 37% of respondents feel satisfied with how the council has been supporting them during the pandemic, but it was more evident that respondents didn’t have a strong feeling either way on this issue, with 46% stating they are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.
- The majority (71%) of residents feel a strong connection to their area, and most (68%) believe that people in their area are willing to help their neighbours. However, only one in five (21%) agree their area has the resources required to solve local problems.
- Thinking to the future, in order to live a good quality life in Southend, respondents most commonly identified a need for accessible/better services (21%), improved safety and security (19%) and clean streets (18%).
Active and Involved
- The majority (69%) of respondents agreed that their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together, however a quarter (25%) disagreed.
- Just over one in four (28%) respondents feel that the council acts on the concerns of local residents, with almost half (49%) feeling that the council doesn’t act on resident concerns very much or at all.
- One in ten (11%) feel that it’s more important to get involved in community events now. The most commonly identified barriers to community involvement included concerns about personal safety (27%), being unsure of how to get involved (22%) and having a worsened work-life balance (21%).
Opportunity and Prosperity
- In general, respondents feel positive about the regeneration that is happening in Southend. Two thirds agreed that regeneration of Southend is providing more job opportunities (64%) and that regeneration is making them feel positive about the future of the city (63%). 57% agreed that regeneration is making Southend more attractive to businesses, whilst 52% agreed it will make people think differently about Southend.
- Two in five (42%) of those in employment expect more remote working in their role when restrictions ease, with another third (36%) expecting this to continue at the same level. Of these two groups, one in five (21%) would be interested in accessing shared workspaces in Southend.
Connected and Smart
- Two thirds (66%) of respondents feel that the council has been managing to keep services running as normal during the pandemic, however almost one in five (18%) feel that the council has not been keeping services running as normal.
- One in three (34%) respondents feel that the council keeps them well informed about the services and benefits it provides. Those living in the Central localities (East Central and West Central) are more likely to feel that they are not kept well informed.
- Thinking about how residents prefer to receive information from the council, the MySouthend platform was the most common preferred method of communication, chosen by 37% of respondents, followed by social media (17%), and local radio/press (13%).
- Although two thirds (67%) of respondents didn’t feel that their level of digital skills or internet access had an impact on their access to services during the pandemic, 15% of respondents felt that these things affected their ability to access services, help and support.
- Following the pandemic, more than half (59%) of respondents expect to walk more and almost a third (30%) expect to cycle more.
- Two thirds (67%) of respondents are not planning to purchase an electrical vehicle in the next two years. Increased affordability (44%) and improved charging infrastructure (34%) were the things that respondents said were most likely to motivate a switch away from petrol/diesel vehicles.
Next steps
Findings from the Residents’ Perception Survey 2021 are being used to inform delivery of the Southend 2050 ambition and outcomes. The information will also influence policy and service delivery decisions for 2022/23.
For further information, and to request a full copy of the Residents’ Perception Survey 2021 report, please contact insights@southend.gov.uk.
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