Direction of travel on key indicators

More than half (54%) of residents are satisfied with the way Southend Council runs things, most of which are fairly satisfied (46%). This overall satisfaction measure has improved by +6ppts since 2019. However, dissatisfaction has also increased since the 2019 survey, from +5ppts from 23%, and overall satisfaction is below the June 2021 LGA benchmark (68%).

Resident opinion is split in terms of whether Southend Council offers value for money, with 33% agreeing that it does and 35% disagreeing. Compared to the 2019 Residents’ Perception Survey, agreement that the Council provides value for money has increased +6ppts (from 27%).

Two out of three (66%) residents feel the Council is keeping services running as normal during the pandemic. However, only one in three (34%) residents feel the Council keeps them informed about the services and benefits it provides. This is down -10ppts since 2019, and well below the LGA benchmark (61%).

There does not seem to be a clear sense among the public that the Council has supported them through the pandemic. Only one in three (37%) residents feel satisfied with how the Council has been supporting them during the pandemic with 46% answering neutrally. This may reflect the dominance of national government in pandemic messaging, despite the multiple functions local government have adopted and adapted in the last 18 months.

Pride and Joy

The majority of Southend residents are satisfied with their local area (72%). While local area satisfaction is stable compared to 2019, satisfaction remains below the latest LGA benchmark of 82%. Residents living in East Central (58%) have the lowest level of satisfaction with their local area.

The issues of road and pavement maintenance provoke noticeably higher levels of dissatisfaction in the question that was included to cover the council services available to all residents. 61% and 68% of residents respectively are dissatisfied with these service aspects. Rough sleepers also appears to be an issue with high visibility.

There is evidence that the pandemic period has changed local level priorities and perceptions. For a majority of residents, open spaces and safe streets have become more important as has addressing crime and ASB and shopping from small local businesses. For those residents that used open spaces more during the pandemic, the most common reason for this was to help them relax, illustrating the connection between these spaces and mental wellbeing.

In the future, half (51%) of residents expect to continue to use Southend’s parks and open spaces more than they did before the pandemic. This suggests that delivery of clean, safe and enjoyable public spaces may take on a heightened influence in shaping how the public perceives Southend-on-Sea Borough Council.

In the context of the climate emergency a majority of residents (75%) are willing to help the Council achieve net zero targets. However, only one in four (25%) are aware of the Green City action plan to reduce carbon emissions in the borough. Residents most commonly identify their role in reducing emissions to be changing transport behaviours. In relation to this, more than half (51%) and almost a third (30%) of residents expect to walk and cycle more following the pandemic, respectively. The vast majority agree recycling possibilities should be maximised to keep refuse out of landfill, and nearly all residents are concerned about beach and marine litter. On this basis, initiatives on these issues are likely to be well received.

Safe and Well

A majority of residents do feel safe during the day (81%), however fewer than half feel safe after dark (43%) and this is -36% points below the LGA benchmark. This divide in safety between day and night is not new; similar results were seen in 2019, but concerns about safety at night continue to be evident. Older groups in particular are more likely to indicate that street safety and addressing crime are more important to them following the pandemic.

One in eight (13%) Southend residents have caring responsibilities. Of those, almost half (45%) find it difficult to meet those responsibilities and other demands on their time such as work and family. This issue is acute for younger carers, those under 45 years of age. More investigation may be needed to ascertain how carers can be better supported in the borough.

Less than half (48%) of residents agree Southend is a good place to bring up children, and fewer than one in four (23%) agree there is good support for families with young children. While ‘don’t know’ responses are an influence here, it is notable that 23% disagree Southend is a good place to bring up children.

Nearly all (98%) residents are unaware of the ‘Your Family’ initiative, and one in three (32%) would like to know more about it, suggesting that there is an appetite for this offer.

Active and Involved

On the whole, residents are positive about community cohesion and relations between different groups in their local area. Overall, 69% agree that their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together. This indicator of social cohesion has increased 11% points since 2019. However, at the same time, disagreement that they live in a place where different people get on well together has doubled, to 25% in 2021 from 12% two years before. So while there may be some evidence of a positive community legacy from the pandemic period, there is also possibly a greater feeling of polarisation regarding how people get on together.

Just over one in four (28%) residents feel the Council acts on the concerns of local residents, which is well below the LGA benchmark of 62%. The proportion of residents who believe the council acts in this way has dropped marginally, by 3ppts since 2019.

The majority (82%) of residents would like to be consulted on decisions that affect their local community, but only 10% agree that they have been asked for input on the borough’s services. One impact of the pandemic appears to be a heightened interest among residents in doing something that makes a difference to their local community (51%).

In this context, concern about personal safety is a key a barrier to community involvement, identified by 27% of residents. Other key barriers are awareness of how to get involved, and work-life balance/time pressures. On this basis it does not seem that a mass upswing in pandemic driven community involvement is likely in the short term.

On the theme of being physically active, only 15% of residents indicate that they have reduced confidence in using Council leisure centres now appropriate COVID-19 protections are in place within these facilities. More generally, younger groups are more likely to now place an increased importance on sport, leisure and community facilities following the pandemic.

Opportunity and Prosperity

The Council is undertaking several multi-year regeneration projects, such as Better Queensway, the Roots Hall and Fossetts Farm housing developments, the Airport Business Park, and the purchase of the Victoria Shopping Centre, in order to bring prosperity and job opportunities and support growth and opportunity in the borough.

Most residents agree the Council’s regeneration projects will provide job opportunities, and makes them feel positive about the future of Southend. Half (52%) of residents agree that regeneration will make people think differently about Southend.

When pandemic restrictions ease, two in five of those in employment (42%) expect more remote working in their role, with another third (36%) expecting this to continue at the same level. Of these, one in five (21%) are interested in having access to shared workspaces in Southend.

Connected and Smart

In order to receive Council information the MySouthend online account is the most commonly preferred channel of communication (37%) compared to local newspapers and radio (13%). The preference for MySouthend is stable (39% in 2019).

When exploring confidence with interacting with the Council digitally, residents are most confident using self-service tools to make payments (64%). Residents are least likely to be confident in applying for benefits or grants online. Don’t know responses were prevalent in this question, likely reflecting a lack of direct experience of these tasks. Residents aged 65 and over and those in the Financially Stretched ACORN group are generally less confident using online tools.

This research shows that 15% of residents felt their lack of digital skills or access to the internet affected their ability to get help and support from Council services during the pandemic. Over-65s (39%), those not working (30%), and social renters (27%) are most likely to agree their lack of digital skills made it difficult for them during the pandemic. On this basis more sustained efforts are required to prevent digital exclusion.

Most (67%) residents aren’t planning to buy an electric vehicle in the next two years. One in nine (11%) are planning to do so. Increased affordability and improved charging infrastructure are the things that are most likely to motivate a switch away from petrol/diesel vehicles.