Council Services Satisfaction Survey 2003

Weighting of Data

In order to fully represent the views of the borough as a whole the results have been weighted by sex and age in accordance with the population profile using data from the 2001 census.

All the results discussed in this report are based on the weighted data.

Questionnaires were posted to a random selection of residential addresses generated from the small users Postal Address File (PAF).

A single mailing of 1,700 questionnaires was undertaken on 17th October 2003.

A total of 474 returns were received of which 10 were marked by the post office as 'undeliverable' and 6 were returned incomplete. This represents a useable response rate of 27%.

Council Tax - Value for Money 

Overall, 61% of respondents feel that the level of Council Tax charged by the council represents good value for money, though only 6% agree that it is 'very good value for money'.

More than a quarter (26%) rate the level of Council Tax as offering very poor value for money.

Perceived Importance of Council Services

Refuse collection emerges as the most important service with 83% of residents rating this as very important.

Around two-thirds rate public health, street cleaning and recycling as very important.

Flood alleviation, public conveniences, and pest control are very important to around half.

All the other services were rated as very important by less than half of all residents, with the Meole Brace Golf Course at the bottom of the list at only 7%.

Satisfaction with Council Services

Of the 25 services listed, 16 show 75% or more satisfied with the service provided.

Parks and gardens (95% of those with an opinion being satisfied) and Cemeteries and the Crematorium (93%) head the list, closely followed by the Music Hall (89%) and pest control (87%).

Overall, 85% are satisfied with refuse collection, though 50% opted for the 'very satisfied' position, which is the highest level seen across all the services listed. Recycling shows a similar pattern with 80% overall satisfied, with 35% being 'very satisfied'.

At the bottom of the list is public conveniences at 55% satisfied followed by flood alleviation at 58%.

Fewer than two-thirds are satisfied with the street cleaning service, which came third in the list of most important services.

Attitudes to Increasing Charges

There is a greater degree of tolerance to the idea of increasing charges above the rate of inflation for leisure services than for other services.

Where car parks are concerned more than a third of residents would not like to see any increase in charges (35%) and a further 39% feel increases should be pegged to inflation.

In the case of local land charges and Cemetery and Crematorium charges around a quarter would prefer not to see any increase and around half feel increases should be in line with inflation.

• Report 2003

Campbell Thomson
Head of Finance
campbell.thomson@shrewsbury.gov.uk
01743 281100