Cheltenham residents' survey 2019 report by Cheltenham Borough Council

Research Report

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019 Prepared for: Cheltenham Borough Council Prepared by: BMG

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey Prepared for: Cheltenham Borough Council Prepared by: Steve Handley and Shona MacAskill Date: 4th October 2019

Produced by BMG Research ÂŠ BMG Research Ltd, 2019 www.bmgresearch.co.uk Project: 1798 Registered in England No. 2841970 Registered office: BMG Research Beech House Greenfield Crescent Edgbaston Birmingham B15 3BE UK Tel: +44 (0) 121 3336006 UK VAT Registration No. 580 6606 32 Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Member No. B4626 Market Research Society Company Partner The provision of Market Research Services in accordance with ISO 20252:2012 The provision of Market Research Services in accordance with ISO 9001:2015 The International Standard for Information Security Management ISO 27001:2013 Interviewer Quality Control Scheme (IQCS) Member Company Registered under the Data Protection Act - Registration No. Z5081943 A Fair Data organisation Cyber Essentials certification The BMG Research logo is a trade mark of BMG Research Ltd.

Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 2 2. Key Messages ......................................................................................................................................... 5 3. Living in Cheltenham.......................................................................................................................... 8 4. Views on Cheltenham Town Centre ...........................................................................................17 5. Environmental Issues.......................................................................................................................21 6. Your Council Services .......................................................................................................................29 7. Interaction with Cheltenham Borough Council ....................................................................39 8. Sample profile......................................................................................................................................45 8.

Appendix: Statement of Terms ....................................................................................................46

Table of figures Figure 1: Summary of satisfaction with local area (All valid responses) .......................................... 8 Figure 2: One change the Council could make to improve quality of life (All valid responses) .................................................................................................................................................................................10 Figure 3: Top 5 explanations of why the local area has got better or worse (All valid responses) ............................................................................................................................................................12 Figure 4: Reasons why residents left Cheltenham (All those who say a household member left in the last five years) ................................................................................................................................13 Figure 5: Agreement with statements about Cheltenham experience (All valid responses) .15 Figure 6: Priorities for the town centre (All valid responses).............................................................17 Figure 7: Satisfaction with Cheltenham town centre (All valid responses) ...................................18 Figure 8: Satisfaction with town centre amenities (All valid responses)........................................19 Figure 9: Views on the importance of the Council’s presence within the town centre (All valid responses) .................................................................................................................................................20 Figure 10: Perceptions of CBC’s role in tackling environmental issues (All valid responses) .21 Figure 11: Ratings of local air quality (All valid responses) ................................................................24 Figure 12: What do you think would make the most difference to improve air quality in your local area? (All valid responses) ...................................................................................................................25 Figure 13: How often do you use these forms of transport to travel around Cheltenham? (All valid responses) .................................................................................................................................................26 Figure 14: Profile of non-bus users and non-cyclists (All valid responses) ....................................27 Figure 15: Support for replacing season plant with perennials (All valid responses) ................28 Figure 16: Satisfaction with the way Cheltenham Borough Council runs things (All valid responses) ............................................................................................................................................................29 Figure 17: Cheltenham Borough Council provides value for money (All valid responses) ......31 Figure 18: Perceptions of the Council’s delivery (All valid responses) ............................................33 Figure 19: Views on the ways in which the Council can manage its budget (All valid responses) ............................................................................................................................................................35 Figure 20: Selected priorities for Cheltenham Borough Council for the coming years (All valid responses – maximum 3 choices per respondent) ................................................................................37 Figure 21: Feeling informed about the Council and its services (All valid responses) ...............39

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

Figure 22: Generally speaking, would you like to be more involved in the decisions that affect your local area? (All valid responses).............................................................................................40 Figure 23: Views on local influence by interest in this (All valid responses).................................41 Figure 24: Sources of information about Cheltenham Borough Council (All valid responses) .................................................................................................................................................................................42

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

1. Introduction Background to the Research In March 2019, Cheltenham Borough Council commissioned BMG to partner with the organisation in understanding residents’ perceptions and experiences of living in Cheltenham, and in understanding how the Council can best implement its corporate strategy to improve the lives of all residents across the borough. BMG BMG is an independent research agency, established in 1988. We work with our clients to fully understand the challenges faced by their organisations, identify priorities for action, and evaluate the impact of change. We use our understanding of markets, people and society to support clients in making informed business decisions, based on insight from objective, robust data. Residents Surveys Residents’ surveys are frequently carried out by local Councils in order to collect statistically robust views from a representative sample of residents. They also provide residents with an opportunity to feed into Council decision-making. The purpose of the data collected in residents’ surveys is to empower Councils to improve their services and direct their resources to the issues that matter most. Moreover, by enabling Councils to understand the extent to which they are thought to keep residents informed and engaged, residents’ surveys can be used to shape communication, messages and channels. Finally, surveys can be used to support an open and transparent relationship between residents and their Councils. In summary, the primary benefits of a residents’ survey are that they allow Councils to:     

Compare the views of residents to national data sets; Explore priorities at a local level; Set baselines/track perceptions of service quality; Collect insight to inform strategy - e.g. channel shift and communications plans; Collect data on new or emerging issues.

Research Objectives Following discussions between Cheltenham Borough Council and BMG, this research was undertaken to collect statistically robust data on: Cheltenham residents’ perceptions of living in Cheltenham, and the Council’s role in informing these; levels of satisfaction with the Council; and residents’ views of key local issues. The insight from this data will inform the implementation of the Council’s Corporate Plan 2019-2023. Methodology A postal methodology was commissioned on the basis that it provides a cost-efficient way of delivering large survey volumes (thus allowing analysis at area level within the borough), while being underpinned by random household selection. This random household selection gives the survey a wider reach and a more robust statistical underpinning relative to other consultation approaches such as online surveys promoted via the Council’s own 2

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

communication channels. Such an online approach would have risked much poorer geographical coverage in the survey responses. A total of 5,500 postal addresses were randomly sampled across all Cheltenham wards. Residential addresses were randomly sampled using Royal Mailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Postal Address File (PAF), the most complete list of addresses that is available. This ensured all residents had an equal and fair chance of being selected for the survey. Within each ward addresses were sorted by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) before applying the random sampling. This ensured that a proportional cross section of households was included in the sampling. Moreover, the number of addresses selected per ward was proportional to the size of the resident population. Taken together, this approach guaranteed that the 5,500 households who were invited to complete the survey were representative of the borough as a whole. The survey was conducted during July and August 2019. The initial mailing of 5,500 questionnaires was followed after three weeks by a second copy of the questionnaire being sent to non-responding households, to encourage completion of the survey. At the end of the fieldwork period 1,594 completed surveys had been received. This includes 234 sampled residents who completed the survey via the online option, rather than through the return of the paper survey. Therefore, the survey had a response rate of 29%, above the rate now typical in surveys of this type (20-25%). Statistical Confidence Based on the population of Cheltenham aged 16+, the survey sample size of 1,594 has a confidence interval of +/-2.43 at a 95% level of confidence. This means that we can be 95% certain that the percentages reported from this sample are within 2.43 percentage points of the percentages that would be observed if the entire borough population was interviewed. Typically, +/-3% is considered an acceptable level of confidence on research of this type, so the +/- 2.43% for this sample is an improvement upon this. Data weighting In order to correct for uneven response rates both geographically and demographically, weights were applied to the survey responses to ensure that they provide a representative data set. Given the purpose of this research was to identify variations in opinion at an area level, weights were applied by ward. Weights were also applied by age and gender at borough level. This weighting ensures that the data is representative of Cheltenham overall. Report contents This document contains a concise summary of the key findings to emerge from this survey. It aims to highlight the positive messages in the data, plus any areas of concern that require further consideration. The data used in this report are rounded up or down to the nearest whole percentage point. It is for this reason that, on occasions, tables or charts may add up to 99% or 101%. Where tables and graphics do not match exactly to the text in the report this is due to the way in which figures are rounded up (or down) when responses are combined. Results that differ in this way should not have a variance that is any larger than 1%.

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

To give the geographical analysis in the report a more robust statistical basis, responses have been reviewed using five ward groupings rather than at individual ward level. The composition of these ward groupings is shown by the table below. Table 1: Definition of ward groupings Central Cheltenham West Cheltenham North Cheltenham south west Cheltenham south east

Lansdown, St. Pauls, College and All Saints St. Peters, St. Marks, Hesters Way and Springbank Swindon Village, Prestbury, Oakley and Pittville Benhall, Warden Hill, Park, Up Hatherley Leckhampton, Charlton Park, Charlton Kings, Battledown

Throughout this report, the term ‘significant’ is only used to describe differences within groups that are statistically significant. These are differences that are proven to be real by use of the T-test, which is a statistical method used to evaluate the differences between two opposing groups. Benchmarking using LGA polling A bespoke questionnaire was used for the 2019 residents’ survey. The design of the survey moved away from a Council-centric question set that traditionally looks to get feedback on specific services. Instead, a number of questions sought input from residents on aspects of their lives including their community and local area, environmental issues and the quality of the offer provided by Cheltenham town centre. Several questions were included to allow perceptions of Cheltenham Borough Council to be benchmarked against polling conducted nationally by the Local Government Association (LGA). The latest LGA polling highlighted in this report (Wave 23) was conducted between 13th and 16th June 2019, among a representative random sample of 1,004 British adults (aged 18 or over). Although consistent question wording was used it should also be noted that there are differences in methodology that may influence findings. The LGA polling was carried out by telephone, compared to the postal methodology used for this research. The impact of this on the findings, if any, cannot be quantified. Typically, the largest difference in findings is produced by a self-completion methodology (e.g. postal, online) compared to an interviewer-administered survey (telephone, face to face). Self-completion surveys can produce less inhibited, more critical responses; this may be replicated to a lesser extent when respondents complete a survey by telephone (LGA). This difference should be considered when benchmarking comparisons are made. Where possible BMG has also provided its own benchmarks on Council perceptions which have been generated through our work with other local authorities on similar projects. The

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

benchmarking dataset we have used is based specifically on urban authorities, for which residents’ surveys have been delivered in 2018 or 2019.

2. Key Messages Cheltenham Borough Council has set out its purpose, principles and priorities in the Corporate Plan 2019-2023. This document defines the strategic priorities of the Council over this five-year period, the actions the Council is taking to deliver on these priorities, and the intended outcomes that the Council is measuring its success against. The five priorities described in the Corporate Plan 2019-2023 are:  Making Cheltenham the cyber capital of the UK;  Continuing the revitalisation and improvement of our vibrant town centre and public spaces;  Achieving a cleaner and greener sustainable environment for residents and visitors;  Increasing the supply of housing and investing to build resilient communities;  Delivering services to meet the needs of our residents and communities. The key messages provided by this research that have a direct relevance to four of these priorities, the findings of which are summarised below. Resident priorities In order to help inform the Council’s future priorities, all residents were also given the opportunity within the survey to select up to three priority issues for Cheltenham Borough Council to focus upon. A total of 15 possible priorities were presented for residents to choose from. From these, the priorities that were most commonly selected were:   

Providing more affordable housing (32%); Tackling homelessness (30%); and, Promoting walking, cycling and public transport (29%).

Encouragingly, the priority that residents give to housing issues aligns clearly with the Council’s existing key Corporate Plan priority to increase the supply of housing and to invest to build resilient communities. The relatively high support for sustainable transport promotion is also aligned with the proposed development of a new Cheltenham transport plan. Key Priority: Continuing the revitalisation and improvement of our vibrant town centre and public spaces Residents’ perceptions of Cheltenham town centre are largely positive, with four in five satisfied with it overall as a place to visit during the day (80%) and with safety during the day (84%). Perceptions are less positive of the town centre after dark, both overall as a place to visit (40%) and in terms of safety (38%), but this is not an uncommon finding in residents’ surveys. A majority of residents are also satisfied by the range of amenities avaliable, ranging from 84% in terms of restaurants/cafes to 67% for shops. 5

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

Residents were also asked what they would consider a priority for the town centre from a given list. By far the most popular choice is improving maintenance overall (44%). This was the most popular choice for each age group. The second highest ranked priority is making it easier to cycle and walk to the town centre (12%), something closly aligned to the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s priority to achieve a cleaner and greener environment. It should also be noted that among the 9% of residents who feel that their local area has got better, there are references to the investment that has already taken place in Cheltenham town centre. Key Priority: Achieving a cleaner and greener sustainable environment for residents, businesses and visitors A specific section covering environmental issues was included in the survey to directly explore public views on the role the Council might play in tackling environmental issues. For all of the options presented, a majority of residents agree that the Council should take actions to deliver improved environmental outcomes. Support ranges from 86% agreement for increasing biodiversity in green spaces and using more plants to support pollinating insects, to 67% for trying to reduce how much people use their cars. Only half of residents feel that Cheltenham as a whole has good air quality (52%), with a slightly larger proportion saying it is good in their local area (60%). A sizeable proportion of residents in both cases feel it is neither good nor bad (27% and 21% respectively). Furthermore, almost half of residents believe either reducing traffic in general (25%) or improving traffic management (20%) will make the greatest difference to air quality. There was also support for improved public transport and greener ways of getting around. Just under a third of residents believe promoting walking, cycling and public transport should be one of the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top three priorities (29%) and 12% of residents believe the priority for the town centre should be making it easier to walk and cycle there. Conversely, although there is a desire by some to reduce traffic in Cheltenham, improved services for drivers remains important to a large proportion of residents (50% of residents use their own car or vehicle most days). When asked what the one change the Council could make to improve quality of life, all three of the highest scoring measures were related to driving: improving roads/pavements (22%), improving traffic management (14%), and improving parking availability (11%). Moreover, of the 28% of residents who feel that their local area has got worse, over half of the reasons why are driving related. Key Priority: Increasing the supply of housing and investing to build resilient communities Although housing issues were not a key theme within the survey design, it is still an important issue to residents. When asked to select up to three priorities for the Council in the coming years, providing more affordable housing (32%) and tackling homelessness (30%) are the two most popular choices. Additionally, of the 9% of residents who have had a household member move out of Cheltenham in the past five years, a third say this was due to the affordability of housing (31%), second only to job opportunities and career progression (45%).

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

Key Priority: Delivering services to meet the needs of our residents and communities Overall, just 18% of all residents are dissatisfied with the way Cheltenham Borough Council runs things (13% are fairly dissatisfied and 5% are very dissatisfied). Among the remainder, almost twice as many are satisfied (55%) than are neutral (23%). The relatively high proportion of neutral respondents found on this indicator should be the target for the Council in its efforts to improve satisfaction further. The 55% of residents satisfied with Cheltenham Borough Council compares to the BMG urban authority benchmark of 59% and the most recent LGA polling benchmark of 63%. When considering the value for money Cheltenham Borough Council provides, there appears to be some uncertainty given that 36% of residents neither agree nor disagree. Among the remainder, marginally more residents agree (31%) than disagree (25%) that value for money is provided. There appears to be a disconnect between this value for money indicator and the postive views of the Council delivery (e.g. parks) and of the borough as a place to live seen elsewhere in the dataset. The Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s provision of parks and opens spaces is a relative strength, with 84% of residents satisfied with Cheltenham Borough Council is this respect. While seven in ten residents are satisfied with the household collections of domestic waste (79%) and recyclables (72%), there is scope to improve satisfaction with these services further given that among the remainder more residents are dissatisfied rather than neutral. Street cleanliness is a potential explanation of wider views on the value the Council provides. Only six in ten residents (61%) are satisfied with the cleanliness of the streets in their local area, while 25% are dissatisfied with local cleanliness. In terms of its approach to managing its economic resources three in four residents agree that the Council should reduce demand for Council services by focusing on prevention (76%). Seven in ten residents also agree that the Council should be targeting services that have higher levels of need (70%). Majority support (75%) is also evident for the Council making investments that reduce the need for future Council Tax increases. Just 7% of residents oppose such an approach. In a context where the Council is making significant investments in the borough such as the new Cyber Park development, this would seem to suggest the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategy in largely in line with public opinion. However, it should be noted that when residents were asked a similar question in relation to the Council making investments outside of the borough to reduce the need for future Council Tax increases, agreement drops by 20-percentage points to 55%. The weakest public support is for the approach of generating more income through being more commercial which 50% of residents support. This approach received the highest proportion of neutral responses, perhaps suggesting that the concept of a commercial strategy may need to be more clearly explained.

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

3. Living in Cheltenham Satisfaction with the local area The majority of Cheltenham residents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live, with 84% saying they feel satisfied. This compares favourably with the both the BMG urban benchmark at 80% and the latest LGA benchmark also at 80% (notwithstanding the methodological differences outlined above which make this a guideline rather than a direct comparison). Of those who said they were satisfied, more than a third (34%) said they were very satisfied. This amounts to 29% of all residents, who said they are very satisfied with their local area. Figure 1: Summary of satisfaction with local area (All valid responses)

Unweighted sample base: 1,572

Satisfaction is broadly constant across demographic groups, although it peaks among female residents (87%) and those aged 35-44 (90%). Reviewing responses geographically shows that residents of the South East of Cheltenham are significantly more satisfied than the Cheltenham average, with 92% describing themselves are either fairly or very satisfied. 8

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

Conversely, West Cheltenham evidences the lowest levels of satisfaction, as 75% of residents in this area say they are satisfied. It should be noted however, that although this is significantly below the Cheltenham average, statistically, it is not significantly below the LGA benchmark. The regional variation in satisfaction levels mirrors the pattern evidenced when we review the responses by IMD quartile. As is often seen in residential satisfaction studies, the lower the levels of multiple deprivation, the higher the levels of satisfaction that are evidenced in the data. Overlaying this onto the regional analysis provides important context to the regional data. Of those residents in the least deprived quartile, 52% are in the South East, where satisfaction is highest, whilst conversely, none of the residents surveyed who are in the least or second least deprived quartile live in West Cheltenham, where satisfaction is lowest. Figure 2: Summary of satisfaction with local area by Ward Grouping and Deprivation Quartile

Unweighted bases vary, Arrows indicate significant difference versus the total sample at 95%

Before being asked about their satisfaction with their local area, residents were asked, “what one change could Cheltenham Borough Council make that would make the largest difference to the quality of life for you/your family?” This was asked in order to understand the most important factors impacting upon residents’ daily lives, which contextualises their overall satisfaction levels. Since the question was asked at the beginning of the survey, and was answered with an open text box, it provides unfiltered insights into residents’ experiences. The themes that came through in resident’s answers were grouped together and quantified. The top three most common themes are shown in the below figure.

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019 Figure 2: One change the Council could make to improve quality of life (All valid responses)

Unweighted sample base: 1,230, Themes mentioned by more than 5% of respondents shown.

The theme that came through most strongly was improvement to the quality of roads or pavements, mentioned by 22% of respondents, followed by improvements to traffic management, cited by 14% and parking, cited by 11%. The responses to this question were broadly consistent across each ward grouping, but in the South East there was a higher focus on traffic management (20%) whilst a smaller proportion of residents cited parking (6%), highlighting factors that are more pertinent to that area. There was also little variation in the answers given by those who said they were satisfied, compared to those who said they were dissatisfied. The only notable difference in the answers of dissatisfied residents was that 12% (of 89) mentioned crime or ASB, compared to just 4% of satisfied residents. Perceived Changes to the Local Area in the Past Year When asked to consider the direction of change in their local area during the past year, the most common response (63%) was that it was unchanged. Where change was identified, more residents suggested that their area had got worse to live in (28%) than had got better (9%). Perceptions of improvement are particularly high in Central Cheltenham, where 16% of residents said their local area had improved. This proportion is significantly higher than in any other ward grouping.

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019 Figure 4: Perceptions of Change in Area in the Last Year (All who have lived in Cheltenham for at least one-year. Valid responses)

Unweighted sample base: 1,534

Perceptions of change have a strong relationship with overall satisfaction, with both sentiments likely feeding into the other. Those residents who are satisfied with their local area are significantly more likely than dissatisfied residents to feel that their local area has improved or stayed the same. Ten percent of satisfied residents think the area has improved, compared to 0% of dissatisfied ones, whilst 67% do not think much has changed, compared to 26% of dissatisfied residents. On the other hand, the majority of dissatisfied residents, 74%, think that the local area has worsened over the past year, as Figure 5 below shows. Figure 5: Perceptions of Change in Area in the Last Year by Satisfaction Level

Unweighted sample base: 1,289 /104

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

Understanding the roots of residents’ perceptions regarding changes in the local area is imperative in recognising the next steps for the borough. Questions were included in the survey so that residents could explain in their own words why they feel their local area has changed in either a positive or negative way. All of these text responses were reviewed after the survey period and were grouped into themes. Among those who identify positive change in their local area this is most commonly attributed to good availability of amenities, cited by 23%, followed by updating or modernising communal or outside areas, (such as the high street or town centre), mentioned by 20%. This suggests some recognition of the investment carried out in the town centre. Residents who feel that their local area has got worse most commonly say this is due to issues with traffic management (28%), parking availably (26%), crime (24%) and issues with roads or pavements (23%). This echoes the sentiments and opinions voiced when residents were asked what one thing the Council could change to improve their quality and life, and the data therefore pinpoints the issues that are most pertinent to residents. Figure 3: Top 5 explanations of why the local area has got better or worse (All valid responses)

Better

Worse

Good availability of amenities (shops/etc)

23%

Updating/modernising of communal/outside areas (Inc. high street/town centre/etc)

Good cleaning service (Inc. refuse/recycling)

28%

Issues with parking availability/deal with issues

20%

Access to/maintenance of parks/paly areas

Updating/modernising or building/properties

Issues with traffic management/control

26%

Reduce/deal with crime/ASB (Inc. more police)

16%

24%

Issues with quality of road/pavements (Inc. pot holes)

14%

Issues with cleaning/cleanliness of area

10%

23%

16%

Unweighted sample base: 102/469

In order to inform responses to these findings the Council should note that:   

Issues with traffic management were more commonly cited by residents in the South East (42%) and less commonly by those in the West (19%). Issues with parking are most prominent in the South West (36%). Concerns regarding crime and anti-social behavior are highest in the West (33%).

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

As means of gathering insight into the reasons that residents may move away from Cheltenham, all survey respondents were initially asked whether any member of their household has left Cheltenham in the last 5 years to live permanently elsewhere. Respondents were asked to exclude anyone who has left for university but returns outside of term time. In total, 9% of residents have had a household member permanently move out of Cheltenham in the last five years. This proportion ranges between 7% among residents of Cheltenham North to 12% in Cheltenham West. The most common reasons for these individuals having left were economic, with 45% suggesting that job opportunities and career progression best explained these moves out of the borough. Views on Cheltenham as a place where careers can be developed and as a place that offer young people opportunity will be examined later in this chapter (from page 13). The next most commonly cited reason for outward migration is the affordability of housing (31%). Later in the analysis of local priorities, housing issues will feature prominently, suggesting that the focus that this issue has in the Council’s Corporate Plan is justified. Other key reasons for residents having left the city within the last five years are:   

Change in family circumstances (i.e. starting a family, downsizing etc.) (11%); To access better services and facilities (11%); and, To move to the Countryside (9%).

The nature of the question asked did not allow any further probing of what type of service or facilities individuals left in order to access, but it is notable in itself that residents are attributing some of the city’s outward migration to local service and facility provision. Figure 4: Reasons why residents left Cheltenham (All those who say a household member left in the last five years)

Unweighted base: 161

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

The Cheltenham experience now and in the future In its Corporate Plan 2019-23, Cheltenham Borough Council state its ambition to make the borough an even greater place for all; a place that is celebrated for its strong economy, its vibrant cultural offer, and as a place where communities benefit from inclusive growth. In the context of this vision a number of attitudinal statements were included within the survey, designed to ascertain how resident’s perceive Cheltenham as a place and live, and how they rate its economic and cultural offer. Questions were also included to measure optimism regarding the borough’s future. As illustrated in Figure 5, pride in the borough comes through strongly among residents, with almost four in five (78%) stating that they are proud to live in Cheltenham. This includes 38% who give the most positive response possible of ‘strongly agree.’ This translates into advocacy of the borough, given that 82% of residents would recommend Cheltenham as a place to live. Seven in ten (69%) agree that Cheltenham has a vibrant and exciting culture. Among the remainder neutral rather than negative responses are dominate (21% and 9% respectively). Views on whether Cheltenham is a good place in which to bring up children and whether it offers opportunity for young people are influenced by the fact that 18% answered don’t know to each of these points. If these don’t knows removed from the sample base and the percentages are recalculated, agreement on these statements rises to 81% and 43% respectively. Looking forwards, 61% of residents agree that Cheltenham has a positive future. Only 8% disagree that this is the case, while 25% give a neutral response. It was not possible to explore further the reasons behind these perceptions, but it is reasonable to suggest that wider uncertainty economically and politically at the national level may be playing out in the Cheltenham specific context.

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019 Figure 5: Agreement with statements about Cheltenham experience (All valid responses) Agree I am proud to live in Cheltenham

78%

By living in Cheltenham, I have the opportunity to grow my career

I would recommend Cheltenham as place to live

82%

29%

69% Cheltenham has a positive future

61%

Cheltenham has a vibrant culture and is an exciting place to live

35% 67% Cheltenham is a good place to bring up children

Cheltenham is a place that offers opportunity for young people

I am proud to live in Cheltenham

78%

Cheltenham has a vibrant culture and is an exciting place to live

69%

Cheltenham is a good place to bring up children

67%

Cheltenham is a place that offers opportunity for young people

31%

Neither agree nor disagree

61% 29%

Strongly disagree

Unweighted sample bases vary

9%2%

13% 3% 18% 16%

82%

Cheltenham has a positive future

Agree

21%

35%

I would recommend Cheltenham as place to live

By living in Cheltenham, I have the opportunity to grow myâ&#x20AC;Ś

18% 4%0

13% 5%0 25%

28%

18%

Don't know/Not relevant

8% 6% 26%

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

A number of salient points can be identified through further exploration of this data: 

Pride regarding living in Cheltenham is consistent across all age groups and does not vary significantly by deprivation quartile. Among those dissatisfied with their local area as a place to live significantly fewer individuals are proud to live in Cheltenham (44%) relative to those who are satisfied with their local area (84%).



Among those who have children in their household 92% indicate that they believe Cheltenham is a good place to bring up children. Among the same group 43% agree that Cheltenham is a place that offers opportunity to young people. While this is significantly above the survey average, it still is a minority view. 32% of those with children in their household give a neutral response regarding whether Cheltenham offers opportunity for young people.



The views regarding opportunities for young people are on balance positive among those aged 16-34 (37% agree, 20% disagree), but the views among this age group for whom such opportunities are most important are not notably more positive than the rest of the population.



Among those currently in employment full time 40% indicate that by living in Cheltenham they have the opportunity to grow their career. Among those who work part time 33% give this response. 22% of each group disagree. It was beyond the scope of this research to capture whether such individuals work in Cheltenham or the nature of their work / employment. But even taking the approach of removing from the analysis those who are not in work, there is a lack of strong sentiment about Cheltenham as a place associated with career progression.



It is well recognized that young people place an increasing emphasis on experience rather than materialism. Looking at the views of those aged 16-34 on the borough’s culture 71% agree that the borough is a vibrant and exciting place to live. However, this is not notably different from other age groups.

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

4. Views on Cheltenham Town Centre One of the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key priorities within its Corporate Plan is continuing the revitalisation and improvement of Cheltenham town centre and public spaces. This priority will be delivered by continued investment in the high street and public spaces, developing a new Cheltenham transport plan and a clear cultural strategy. When residents consider the town centre just under half feel improving the overall maintenance of the town centre is the most important priority (44%), and this is considerably more than any of the other priorities listed. Around one in eight residents would like it to be made easier to cycle and walk to the town centre (12%), and one in ten would like to see more amenities (seating, public toilets, bins etc) in the town centre (9%). Improving overall maintenance is the highest priority for all age groups. However, beneath this some age variations can be identified. Younger residents (aged 16-34) are significantly more likely to want more green spaces (11%) and more urban regeneration (12%). Among residents aged 45-54 a higher proportion want cycling and walking to the town centre to be made easier (19%). A similar proportion of residents with children in their household also want it to be made easier to cycle and walk to the town centre (18%), as do those living in Cheltenham South East (17%). In terms of transportation users, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s those who ride a bike that also want to see it made easier (28%). Figure 6: Priorities for the town centre (All valid responses)

Unweighted base: 1339, Themes mentioned by more than 7% of respondents,

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

Within the town centre, a majority of residents are satisfied with the maintenance of parks/green spaces (86%), as well as daytime safety (84%) and with centre as a place to visit in the daytime (80%). Notably, perceptions of the town centre after dark, including safety, are less positive, with only around two in five residents satisfied. However, a decline in positivity is common on residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; survey when comparing perceptions after dark and during the day. Dissatisfaction is disproportionately high compared to satisfaction for ease of getting to town, with a quarter of residents dissatisfied (23%) and only 14% uncertain. Dissatisfaction on this issue is consistent across all four ward groupings, although it is slightly lower in Cheltenham North (23%). Figure 7: Satisfaction with Cheltenham town centre (All valid responses)

The maintenance of parks/green spaces

86%

7% 5%

Safety during the day

84%

11% 4%

Cheltenham town centre overall as a place to visit in the daytime

80%

The general appearance

66%

The overall cleanliness

64%

The ease of getting to the town centre

62%

12% 7%

18%

17%

14%

16%

19%

23%

Cheltenham town centre overall as a place to visit after dark

40%

25%

24%

Safety after dark

38%

25%

Very satisfied/fairly satisfied

Neither

Unweighted sample bases vary

Fairly dissatisfied / Very dissatisfied

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

Residents were also asked about their satisfaction with amenities in the town centre. Although satisfaction is generally high, particularly with the range of restaurants and cafes (84%), one in five residents are dissatisfied with the range of shops (18%). By age, residents aged 16-34 are significantly more satisfied with both the range of shops (75%) and the range of restaurants and cafes (90%). It is those aged 55-64 who are least satisfied with the range of all three amenities. Figure 8: Satisfaction with town centre amenities (All valid responses)

The range of restaurants / cafes

84%

The range of events and activities

69%

The range of shops available

Very satisfied/fairly satisfied

67%

Neither

11% 4%

18%

14%

18%

Fairly dissatisfied / Very dissatisfied

Unweighted sample bases vary

The final section that was asked in relation to the town centre sought to explore the balance of public opinion regarding the Council’s physical presence. Although three in four residents (72%) feel that it is important that there is a place in town where the public can make enquiries and access Council services, only three in five residents (61%) feel that it is important that the Council’s main offices are located in Cheltenham town centre. Only 3% of residents are unsure, with the remainder saying it is not important. As might be anticipated, it is older residents who are more likely to say that a Council presence in the town centre is important. Among those aged 65 and over 87% say it is important for Council services to be accessible within the town centre and 80% feel it is important that the Council’s main office be positioned centrally. Other groups who are also more likely to say it is important that the Council’s main office is in the town centre include those who are not managing financially and residents who rent for a housing association or RSL.

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019 Figure 9: Views on the importance of the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence within the town centre (All valid responses)

There is a place within the town centre where the public can make enquiries and access Council services

42%

The Council's main offices / staff are located in the town centre

Very important

Fairly important

36%

Not very important

30%

25%

15% 9%

20%

15%

Not important at all

Unweighted sample bases vary

This balance of public opinion should be recognised in the context of any future decision making regarding the existing Municipal offices.

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

5. Environmental Issues In its meeting on 9th July Cheltenham Borough Council’s Cabinet declared a climate emergency following earlier unanimous resolutions in February 2019. The motion included the following points:  

 

To make Cheltenham carbon neutral by 2030; To call on Westminster to provide the powers and resources to make achieving this target possible and to work with other governments (both within the UK and internationally) to determine and implement best practice methods to limit Global Warming to less than 1.5°C; To continue to work with partners across the town, county and region to deliver this new goal through all relevant strategies and plans; To report to the full Council with the actions the authority will take to address this emergency.

In this context, questions were included in the 2019 resident’s survey to provide up to date insight into the role Cheltenham residents feel that the Council should play in tackling environmental issues. As shown by the figure below, only a small minority of residents actively disagree that their Council should take actions or support policies that help the environment. Figure 10: Perceptions of CBC’s role in tackling environmental issues (All valid responses) Increase biodiversity in its green spaces and use more plants that support pollinating insects

86%

10%2%

Play a role in tackling air quality issues

83%

11% 4%

Enable people to walk/cycle more

82%

11% 6%

Enable more public transport use

81%

13% 5%

75%

Try to reduce vehicle emissions in the borough

15%

Reduce its carbon footprint and increase biodiversity by cutting grass less frequently where appropriate

68%

15%

16%

Try to reduce how much people use their cars

67%

15%

16%

Agree

Disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Unweighted sample bases vary

Don't know

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

More than four in five Cheltenham residents agree that the Council should play a role in tackling air quality issues (83%), enabling people to walk/ cycle more (82%) and enabling public transport use (81%). As is reported elsewhere in this document (see Figure 20), promoting, walking cycling and public transport is one of the areas of activity that was most commonly selected when residents were asked to consider what the Council’s priorities should be in the coming years. These findings would suggest that potential environmental benefits of infrastructure changes or improvements e.g. road closures should be communicated clearly to residents. Three quarters (75%) of residents agree that Cheltenham Borough Council should try to reduce vehicle emissions in the borough. Specific views on the air quality within the Borough and at neighbourhood level will be examined in detail below. Among those who feel that the air quality in Cheltenham is poor, the proportion who feel that Cheltenham Borough Council should pay a role in reducing vehicle emissions rises to 85%. However, even among those who feel the borough’s air quality is good 73% still agree that the Council has a role in emission reduction. Among the seven possible environmentally focused actions that residents were asked to comment upon, the lowest support received is for trying to reduce how much people use their cars. While a majority of 67% support this approach, 16% disagree that the Council should do this, with a further 15% giving a neutral response. Recent national and international coverage of environmental concerns has focused on the Greta Thunberg inspired youth pressure to raise environmental issues on the political agenda. This survey collected views of residents aged 16 and over, so it does not provide insight from those of school age. However, it is still pertinent to look at the views expressed by individual age groups in order to identify if there are differing levels of support for the Council’s role in tackling environmental issues. As is evident in the table overleaf, while there is some variation in agreement, a majority of all age groups agree that the Council should be taking the listed environmentally focused actions. For those aged 16-34, air quality appears to be a particular concern given that 90% of this age group agree that the Council should play a role in tackling this, significantly above the survey average of 83%. However, the views of this age group are not consistently higher to those held by older residents. While residents aged 55 to 64 are less likely to support a Council role in reducing how much people use their cars and vehicle emissions, such approaches are still supported by at least six in ten of this age group.

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019 Table 2: Support by age for CBC’s role in tackling environmental issues (All valid responses) % agree Play a role in tackling air quality issues Try to reduce how much people use their cars Try to reduce vehicle emissions in the borough Enable people to walk/cycle more Enable more public transport use Increase biodiversity in its green spaces and use more plants that support pollinating insects Reduce its carbon footprint and increase biodiversity by cutting grass less frequently where appropriate

Total

16 to 34

35 to 44

45 to 54

55 to 64

65+

83%

90%

85%

77%

79%

84%

67%

72%

67%

61%

64%

75%

81%

76%

73%

69%

76%

82%

87%

85%

79%

77%

81%

85%

82%

81%

82%

86%

89%

86%

91%

85%

83%

68%

71%

76%

69%

66%

63%

It is also possible to identity the specific views of regular vehicle users on these environmental issues. Among those who indicate that they use their vehicle on most days, four in five (81%) agree that the Council should play a role in tackling air quality issues, only marginally below the survey average. However, among these high frequency vehicle users the proportion who feel that the Council should try to reduce how much people use their cars is 59%, 8-percentage points lower than the survey average. These frequent vehicle users are also relatively less likely to support the Council enabling people, to walk and cycle more. However, given that more than three quarters of these vehicle users (77%) support such an action, it is clearly not the case that high frequency vehicle users oppose promotion of alternative transportation. Air quality In response to increased press coverage of air quality issues, particularly in relation to the impact of diesel vehicles, questions on this topic were included in the survey. Delivering improved local air quality (and associated health benefits) is a cross cutting component within the delivery of the Council’s key priorities (e.g. contributing to improving public spaces as well as more generally improving environmental sustainability). Residents were asked to rate the air quality both in their neighbourhood, i.e. the area 15-20 minutes walk from their home, and also within Cheltenham as a whole. At a borough level, 52% of residents feel that air quality is good, while 13% feel it is poor. Among the remainder, 27% of residents suggest that Cheltenham’s air quality is neither good nor poor and 8% are unsure. When answering specifically about their neighbourhood (15-20 mins walk from their home), residents are slightly more likely to indicate that their air quality is good (60%). Within this, 15% go as far as to say that it is very good. Among the remaining responses the balance of opinion is similar to that seen for the borough level responses, with 13% of residents indicating that the air quality in their neighbourhood is poor. 23

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019 Figure 11: Ratings of local air quality (All valid responses)

Unweighted sample base: 1553 /1527

Breaking responses down geographically shows that residents living within the Cheltenham West area are most likely to describe their neighbourhood air quality as poor (18%). Just over half of residents in this area (54%) describe it as good. Residents of Cheltenham South West (67%) and Cheltenham South East (also 67%) are most likely to describe their neighbourhood air quality as good. Interestingly, there is also a clear variation in responses on air quality by deprivation. While seven in ten (71%) of those in the least deprived quartile of the borough describe their local air quality as good, this proportion drop significantly to 55% among those living in the most deprived quartile. Table 3: Rating of neighbourhood air quality by deprivation quartile (All valid responses)

Good

60%

1 - Least deprived 71%

Neither good nor poor

21%

16%

21%

26%

19%

Poor

13%

14%

18%

Don't know

1553

469

454

367

263

Total

Unweighted Bases

60%

57%

4 - Most deprived 55%

All Cheltenham residents were also asked to state in their own words what would make the most difference to improving air quality in their local area. Based on the responses given, residents clearly attribute air quality issues to vehicles and road traffic. The most common response (25% once answers had been grouped into themes) was that reducing the number of cars/traffic would improve air quality. A further 20% suggest that better traffic management/congestion reduction would have this effect. The full range of responses given is shown in the figure overleaf.

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019 Figure 12: What do you think would make the most difference to improve air quality in your local area? (All valid responses) Reduce number of cars/vehicles/traffic (general)

25%

Better traffic management/reduce congestion

20%

Increase/improve public transport

12%

Encourage cycling/walking (Inc. make easier to)

11%

Encourage/more electric transport/vehicle use

10%

Increase amount of greenery/greenspaces

10%

Reduce public transport fares

Reduce traffic emissions/pollution

Reduce number of Large vehicles (lorries/4 by 4's/etc)

Reduce/stop building houses/development

No changes needed/everything is fine

Reduce/discourage diesel transport/vehicle use

Reduce speeding/speed limits

Vehicles to turn off engines when stationary/stop idling

Complaints about Boots corner (Inc. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;reopen it')

Stop/regulate domestic open fire use

Resolve parking issues/cheaper/free car parks

Other

No / None / Nothing

Don't know

Unweighted sample base: 916

Given the prevalence of traffic related issues in these responses it is appropriate to drill down into the specific views of those who use their own vehicle on most days. Even among this group reducing the numbers of cars and improved traffic management (both 19%) are most commonly identified as the approaches that would make the most difference to local air quality. In order to put the above views on environmental issues into context, the frequency with which respondents use key forms of transport to travel within Cheltenham are shown in the figure below. Half (50%) of residents indicate that they use their own vehicle to travel around Cheltenham most days. In comparison, only 10% indicate that they use a bus with this level of frequency, while 14% cycle most days. Just over half of residents (54%) indicate that they never use a bicycle to travel around Cheltenham while 32% indicate that they are non-bus users. 25

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019 Figure 13: How often do you use these forms of transport to travel around Cheltenham? (All valid responses) 60% 54% 50% 50%

40% 32%

30% 30%

27%

20% 14% 10%

16%

15%

13%

11%

10%

11%

7% 4%

0% Most days

At least once a week At least once a month Your own vehicle (car, van or motorbike)

Less often Bus

Never

Bicycle

Unweighted sample bases vary

While transportation decisions are often complex trade-offs between various factors, the profile of non-bus users and non-cyclists is provided overleaf, in terms of age, gender, and geography. In terms of gender, non-bus users are equally likely to be males and females. However, there is a significant variation for cycling, with females significantly more likely than males to be non-cyclists.1 Those who never cycle are most commonly found in the 55-64 and 65+ age groups (56% and 77%) and among those at the other end of the age spectrum, among those age 16-34 (53%).

This variation is seen nationally, for instance: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire41737483 1

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019 Figure 14: Profile of non-bus users and non-cyclists (All valid responses)

Non Bus Users Total (1483)

32%

Male (618)

34%

Female (792)

32%

16 to 34 (128)

40%

35 to 44 (174)

38%

45 to 54 (232)

36%

55 to 64 (270) 65+ (605)

32% 17%

Central (257)

37%

Cheltenham West (246)

32%

Cheltenham North (289) Cheltenham South West (341)

29% 24%

Cheltenham South East (350)

39%

Non-cyclists Total (1430)

54%

Male (697)

48%

Female (760)

60%

16 to 34 (129)

53%

35 to 44 (177)

43%

45 to 54 (231)

35%

55 to 64 (274)

56%

65+ (550)

77%

Central (255)

57%

Cheltenham West (232)

60%

Cheltenham North (278)

50%

Cheltenham South West (323)

54%

Cheltenham South East (342)

50%

Unweighted sample bases in brackets

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

Perennial Planting The Council has traditionally planted seasonal flowers in hanging baskets and town centre gardens that are grown in greenhouses, then planted and replaced twice per year. Recently it has started to replace some of these beds with perennial plants that do not need replacing, require less watering and maintenance, and are more beneficial to pollinating insects. All survey respondents were asked whether or not they supported such an approach. As shown by the figure below there is clear support for this approach with 89% agreeing that it is correct and just 5% suggesting the opposite. Figure 15: Support for replacing season plant with perennials (All valid responses)

Unweighted sample base: 1548

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

6. Your Council Services Satisfaction with the way the council runs things All residents were asked to give an overall satisfaction rating regarding how well Cheltenham Borough Council runs things. In the preamble to this question the respective role of the borough relative to County and parish Councils was explained: “Your local area receives services from two councils, or sometimes three if you live in a parished area. Cheltenham Borough Council is responsible for services such as refuse collection, street cleaning and planning, parks and economic development, and Gloucestershire County Council, is responsible for roads and pavements, social care and education. Parish councils tend to provide more local services such as grounds maintenance, providing youth clubs or running community centres.” As shown by the figure below, just 18% of all residents are dissatisfied with the way Cheltenham Borough Council runs things (13% are fairly dissatisfied and 5% are very dissatisfied). Among the remainder, almost twice as many are satisfied (55%) than are neutral (23%). The relatively high proportion of neutral respondents found on this indicator should be the target for the Council in its efforts to improve satisfaction further. Figure 16: Satisfaction with the way Cheltenham Borough Council runs things (All valid responses)

Unweighted sample base: 1555

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

To put these results into context, the BMG urban authority benchmark for satisfaction with the way Councils are run is 59%. Therefore, the views Cheltenham residents hold in relation to their Borough Council are broadly inline with this benchmark at 55%. Furthermore, the most recent LGA telephone polling found Council satisfaction to be at 63%, although it should be recognised that this benchmark is from national polling and therefore will encompass views from both urban and rural locations. Residents in rural areas have a tendency to have higher satisfaction levels than those living in urban areas. Value for money All residents were also asked to give their views on the level of value for money Cheltenham Borough Council provides. In considering the next question, respondents were encouraged to think about the range of services Cheltenham Borough Council provides to the community as a whole, as well as the services their household uses. It is important to note that residents were not given the context of what proportion of their Council Tax goes to the Council. For an average band D dwelling, 12% of Council Tax income goes to the Borough Council, whilst 74% goes to the County Council and 14% goes to the Police. As the figure below shows, when considering the value for money Cheltenham Borough Council provides, there appears to be some uncertainty given that 36% of residents neither agree nor disagree. Among the remainder, marginally more residents agree (31%) than disagree (25%) that value for money is provided. There appears to be a disconnect between this value for money indicator and the postive views of the Council delivery (e.g. parks) and of the borough as a place to live seen elsewhere in the dataset.

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019 Figure 17: Cheltenham Borough Council provides value for money (All valid responses)

Unweighted sample base: 1546

Agreement that Cheltenham Borough Council provides value for money is below the most recent LGA average of 48% and the BMG urban authority benchmark of 52%, due to the proportion of residents who are answering neither agree nor disagree. Older residents, i.e. those aged 65 and over are most likely to be satisfied with the value for money Cheltenham Borough Council provides (40%), but there are no notable variations by age beyond this. As might be anticipated, views on the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s value for money delivery are strongly interlinked with other perceptions within the dataset. However, even among those with positive views on other issues the proportion who describe their Council as providing value for money remain low. For example, even among those who are satisfied with their local area 35% of residents agree that their Council provides value for money. Among those who are satisfied with cleanliness two in five (40%) agree that their Council provides value for money and among those satisfied with parks and greens spaces the same proportion is 35%. On this basis it would seem to suggest that residents are not making the strong connection between the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role and their wider experiences of the borough and/or that they are lacking sufficient information to feel able to make a judgement on value for money. 31

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

In order to contextualise the above headline measures of Council satisfaction, views were also sought regarding some of the Council’s key areas of service delivery. In the design stage of this research it was recognised that a survey delivered to a random sample of residents is not the optimum means by which to gather views on the specifics of the Council’s many services, However, in order to add insight to the above measures of satisfaction and value for money, a question was included in order to explore the views of residents on service aspects that are universal. These responses that are summarized in the figure below suggest the Council’s provision of parks and opens spaces is a relative strength, with 84% satisfied with Cheltenham Borough Council is this respect. While seven in ten residents are satisfied with the household collections of domestic waste (79%) and recyclables (72%), there is scope to improve satisfaction with these services further given that the remainder more commonly are dissatisfied rather than neutral. Street cleanliness is a potential explanation of wider views on the value the Council provides. Only six in ten residents (61%) are satisfied with the cleanliness of the streets in their local area, while 25% are dissatisfied with local cleanliness. When considering the way, the Council tackles anti-social behavior over a third answered don’t know, which is likely to indicate that for a sizable proportion of residents this is not something they have suffered experience of to comment. However, the fact that 25% of Cheltenham residents are dissatisfied in relation to the Councils ASB response does indicate that for some residents this is a matter of concern. Finally, when considering the management of the town centre, less than half of residents are satisfied. This is surprising considering that the majority of resident are satisfied with different aspects of the town centre, including: amenities, general appearance (66%), general cleanliness (64%) and the town centre overall as a place to visit during the day (80%). Satisfaction only falls to around 40% when analysing it as a place to visit after dark and safety after dark.

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019 Figure 18: Perceptions of the Council’s delivery (All valid responses)

The household collections for domestic waste

79%

The household collections for recyclables

72%

The cleanliness of the streets in your local area

Neither

13%

21%

25%

84%

21%

The Council's management of the town centre

Satisfied

61%

The parks and open spaces provided by the Council

The way the Council tackles anti-social behaviour

6% 14%

20%

44%

Dissatisfied

8% 6%

25%

24%

33%

24%

Don't know

Unweighted sample sizes vary

Probing the issues of street cleanliness shows that: 

Those who rent from a Housing Association/ Registered Social landlord are the tenure group that are most commonly dissatisfied (37%) with street cleanliness locally.



There is also clear relationship with deprivation. While only 13% of those in the least deprived quartile of the borough are dissatisfied with street cleanliness this proportion rises to 31% in quartile 3 and to 38% in the most deprived quartile.



Spatially this dissatisfaction peaks in Cheltenham West (40%) suggesting additional focus on this issue might be required within the wards that make up this area.

Turning now to the issue of tackling ASB, it is again those in the most deprived quartile who are most commonly dissatisfied with Cheltenham Borough Council (34%). But these same residents are also most likely to be satisfied with the Council’s response on this issue (30%), which perhaps indicates that those in more deprived areas have more direct experience of this. There are no significant variations in dissatisfaction with ASB handling by ward grouping. Although views on Cheltenham town centre have been reported upon in detail earlier in the report, it is interesting to examine which groups most commonly express dissatisfaction in relation to the Council’s town centre management. Peaks in dissatisfaction on this indicator are found among those aged 55 to 64 (34%), those who won their home outright (28%), those who are retired (28%) and those living in Cheltenham North (31%).

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

Views on future budget management approaches. Reductions to the Council’s budget mean that more than ever it is looking at the most efficient ways to deliver services. Some of these strategies have generated adverse publicity in the past. Therefore, this research was used as an opportunity to explore public support for the different ways the Council can manage its budget in challenging economic times. The wording in this question focused upon general principles / approaches, rather than specific decisions or investments. The balance of opinion in relation to each of these strategies is shown in Figure 19. Just over three quarters (76%) of residents agree with the approach of reducing demand for Council services by focusing on prevention. Seven in ten (70%) also agree with targeting services in the areas of the borough which have higher levels of need. Probing response on this particular strategy in more depth shows that agreement with this approach does not vary significantly by deprivation quartile (a potential proxy measure of service need). Majority support is also evident for the Council making investments that reduce the need for future Council Tax increases (75%). Just 7% of residents oppose such an approach. In a context where the Council is making significant investments in the borough such as the new Cyber Park development, this would seem to suggest the Council’s strategy in largely in line with public opinion. However, it should be noted that when residents were asked a similar question in relation to the Council making investments outside of the borough to reduce the need for future Council Tax increases, agreement drops by 20-percentage points to 55%. For this approach disagreement increases by 10-percentage points, with the remaining responses moving to either ‘don’t know’ or a neutral response. The weakest public support is for the approach of generating more income through being more commercial which 50% of residents support. This approach received the highest proportion of neutral responses, perhaps suggesting that the concept of a commercial strategy may need to be more clearly explained.

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019 Figure 19: Views on the ways in which the Council can manage its budget (All valid responses) Reducing demand for Council services by focusing on prevention

76%

14% 5%

Making investments that reduce the need for future Council Tax increases

75%

13% 7%

Targeting services in areas of the borough which have higher levels of need

70%

16%

Enabling residents and community groups to help with running services where they can

65%

20%

Making efficiencies in back office services

64%

21%

Making investments outside of Cheltenham that reduce the need for future Council Tax increases

55%

Generating income through being more commercial

Agree

19%

50%

Neither agree nor disagree

Disagree

25%

12%

17%

Don't know

Unweighted sample bases vary

Resistance to an outside investment approach is significantly higher among those who describe their financial condition as just about managing (19%). However, no strong variation is evident by deprivation quartile. Geographically the highest disagreement that the Council should make investments outside of the borough is found in Cheltenham North (22%). Looking specifically at those who currently describe themselves as dissatisfied with Cheltenham Borough Council, majority support is found for the following strategies: 

Reducing demand for Council services by focusing on prevention (66%);



Making efficiencies in service delivery (65%);



Making investments that reduce the need for future Council Tax increases (64%); and,



Targeting services in areas of the borough which have higher levels of need (58%).

For the remaining approaches those who are dissatisfied with Cheltenham Borough Council give more muted support for: 

Making investments outside of Cheltenham that reduce the need for future Council Tax increases (50%);



Enabling residents and community groups to help with running services where they can (48%); and,



Generating income through being more commercial (43%). 35

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

This suggests that any future implementation of these approaches may well need to be accompanied by particularly careful communication of why they are anticipated to be of benefit to both residents and the Council. Council priorities In order to help inform the Council’s future priorities all residents were also given the opportunity within the survey to select up to three priority issues for Cheltenham Borough Council to focus upon. A total of 15 possible priorities were presented for residents to choose from. From these, the priorities that were most commonly selected among the responses given were:   

Providing more affordable housing (32%); Tackling homelessness (30%); and, Promoting walking, cycling and public transport (29%).

Encouragingly, the priority that residents give to housing issues aligns clearly with the Council’s existing key Corporate Plan priority to increase the supply of housing and to invest to build resilient communities. The relatively high support for sustainable transport promotion is also aligned with the proposed development of a new Cheltenham transport plan. The full level of endorsement for each possible priority is shown by the figure overleaf. In this it is notable that around a quarter of residents selected priorities that are economic e.g. regeneration and supporting business (26%), supporting young people to develop skills and get into work. Similar proportions also suggest that the Council should prioritise environmental concerns such as making it easier to recycle (25%) and environmental protection and enhancement (24%). On this basis it appears that sustainable economic development is something that appeals to the borough’s residents.

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019 Figure 20: Selected priorities for Cheltenham Borough Council for the coming years (All valid responses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; maximum 3 choices per respondent)

Providing more affordable housing

32%

Tackling homelessness

30%

Promoting walking, cycling and public transport

29%

Economic regeneration and supporting businesses

26%

Making it easier to recycle

25%

Supporting young people to develop skills and get into work

25%

Protecting and enhancing the environment

24%

Improving the town centre

23%

Investing in our communities to tackle inequalities and to promote inclusive growth

22%

Reducing the borough's carbon footprint to tackle climate change

19%

Supporting arts, events and local culture

12%

Improving air quality

12%

Attracting more tourism

Improving standards in private sector rented housing

Digital access for customers so that they can do more online

Unweighted sample base: 1513

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

Given that both priorities and service needs can vary by life stage, the table below shows the top three priorities that were selected per age group. Interestingly it is the 55-64 and 65+ age groups who most commonly selected affordable housing as a priority. Making it easier to recycle features as a top three priority among those aged 16-34 and those age 3544, but does not feature among older age groups. Table 4: Top three priority issues for the Council to focus upon by age group (All valid responses) 16-34

35-44

Making it easier to recycle (33%) Tackling homelessness (32%) Promoting walking, cycling and public transport (31%) 45-54

Tackling homelessness (34%) Promoting walking, cycling and public transport (31%) Making it easier to recycle (28%) 55-64

Economic regeneration and supporting businesses (33%) Promoting walking, cycling and public transport (32%) Providing more affordable housing (30%) 65+

Providing more affordable housing (36%) Promoting walking, cycling and public transport (32%) Tackling homelessness (31%)

Providing more affordable housing (42%) Supporting young people to develop skills and get into work (33%) Tackling homelessness (28%)

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

7. Interaction with Cheltenham Borough Council Feeling informed Two in five (41%) Cheltenham residents feel very or fairly informed about the Council and the services and benefits it provides. However, a further two in five (40%) do not feel very well informed, while 12% do not feel well informed at all. The latest LGA national benchmark on this measure (June 2019) shows 59% of residents feel very or well informed about Council Service and benefits. Although causation cannot be proven, it is notable that among those who feel informed about the Council 71% are satisfied with the way it runs things. Among those who do not feel informed the same proportion is significantly lower at 45%. Figure 21: Feeling informed about the Council and its services (All valid responses)

Unweighted sample base: 1563

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

In order to inform future communication strategies, it should be noted that the following demographic groups are most likely to describe themselves as un-informed about the Council’s services and benefits: 

Those aged 16-34 (60%) and 35- to 44 (61%);



Those with children in the household (59%) relative to those who do not have children (50%);



Those who describe their financial situation as not managing well (69%) although there are no significant differences by deprivation quartile.

Influencing decisions When asked whether they agree or disagree that they can influence decisions that affect their local area, more than twice as many residents disagree (48%) than agree (19%). Among the remainder a quarter (26%) answered neither agree nor disagree and a further 7% answered don’t know. In order to better understand this negative balance of opinion, views on this issue are best examined in the context of whether individuals would like to be more involved in the decisions that affect their local area. When asked about this a third of all residents (34%) said that they would like to be more involved, and 56% said that it depends on the issue. Just 6% of residents say that they would not want to be more involved in the decisions that affect their local area. Given that the wording of this question focused on the local area, responses are shown below split out geographically. This illustrates that residents of Cheltenham North are significantly more likely (40%) than the survey average (34%) to want to be more involved in the decisions that affect their local area. Figure 22: Generally speaking, would you like to be more involved in the decisions that affect your local area? (All valid responses) Total (1559)

34%

Central (335)

33%

Cheltenham West (350)

33%

Cheltenham North (298)

33%

Cheltenham South East (280)

32% Yes

59%

40%

Cheltenham South West (296)

56%

57% 8%

49%

58%

6% Depends on the issue

Unweighted sample bases in brackets

60% Don't know

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019

To help inform future engagement by the Council and its partners it should be noted that the following groups are also more likely to have answered ‘yes’ regarding having more local influence in the future: 

Males (38%) compare to females (31%);



All age groups below 65 years of age. Among those aged 65 the level of interest drops to 25%;



Those whose ethnicity is White Other (53%);



Those who work full time (39%).

The impetus for better engaging residents with an interest in local decision making is shown by the figure below. This shows the current agreement that residents can have an influence on local decision among those who say they would be interested in doing so and among those who might be interested depending on the issue. In both groups the proportion who disagree that they can have an influence is well above the 18% and 19% respectively who agree. Figure 23: Views on local influence by interest in this (All valid responses)

Strongly agree

4% 2% 14% 16%

Tend to agree

21%

Neither agree nor disagree

29% 34% 33%

Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don't know

25%

12% 3%

18% 19%

Summary: Strongly agree / Tend to agree Summary: Tend to disagree / Strongly disagree

45%

Yes interested (485) Unweighted sample bases in brackets

Depends (877)

58%

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

Finding out about Cheltenham Borough Council The key sources from which Cheltenham residents receive information about their council, are leaflets /posters (45%), followed by local media (43%). The Council website is the third most commonly cited information source (36%), while 35% mention word of mouth via friends and family. Figure 24: Sources of information about Cheltenham Borough Council (All valid responses) Leaflets or posters

45%

Local media (radio, newspaper, TV)

43%

Council website

36%

From friends and family

35%

Public notice/bulletin boards

14%

Directly from your Councillor

12%

Council Facebook page

Community events

Council email alerts Council Twitter feed

5% 4%

Public meetings

Other Council social media channel

Other None of these

6% 9%

Unweighted sample base: 1556

When examining the interaction between information channels and overall satisfaction with Cheltenham Borough Council it is notable that those who are dissatisfied more commonly state that they get information from the local media (49%), but are also more likely than those who are satisfied to use the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook page (13% cf. 6%) and other Council social media channels (7% cf. 2%).

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

Given the propensity of different age groups to interact with traditional and digital communication channels to differing extents, the top five sources of Council information per age group are shown in the table below. This analysis shows that for 16-34 year olds the Council website is the most commonly used source of information, whereas for all other age groups the top answer is either local media or printed materials. While the Council website is a top 5 source or information for all age groups, only among those aged 16-34 does the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook page feature among the top five information channels mentioned. Table 5: Most common sources of information from about Cheltenham Borough Council Per Age Group (All valid responses) 16-34

35-44

Council website (43%) Leaflets or posters (36%) Local media (radio, newspaper, TV) (31%) From friends and family (31%) Council Facebook page (15%)

Leaflets or posters (48%) Council website (45%) Local media (radio, newspaper, TV) (41%) From friends and family (37%) Directly from your Councillor (11%)

Cheltenham Residents’ Survey 2019 45-54 Leaflets or posters (52%) Local media (radio, newspaper, TV) (45%) Council website (40%) From friends and family (35%) Public notice/bulletin boards (13%)

55-64 Local media (radio, newspaper, TV) (54%) Leaflets or posters (52%) From friends and family (35%) Council website (33%) Directly from your Councillor (17%)

65+ Local media (radio, newspaper, TV) (55%) Leaflets or posters (49%) From friends and family (37%) Council website (22%) Directly from your Councillor (21%)

This question included a ‘none of these’ option. By looking at those who gave this response we can identify particular groups most likely to be completely disengaged with Council information. In total, 9% of the survey sample gave this response. This proportion rises significantly to 14% among those aged 16 to 34, to 12% among those living in Cheltenham South West and to 21% among those who are neither renters nor owner occupiers.

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

8. Sample profile The table below summarises the demographic profile of the survey respondents prior to the application of weighting. Count

Male

652

41%

Female

861

54%

Other

<0.5%

Prefer not to say

Not answered

16 to 24

25 to 34

113

35 to 44

183

11%

45 to 54

238

15%

55 to 64

294

18%

65 to 74

358

22%

75+

306

19%

Prefer not to say

Not answered Children in household

Yes

288

18%

1241

78%

Prefer not to say

Not answered Ethnic Group

White - British

Gender identity

Age

1404

88%

White - Irish

White - East European

White - Gypsy, Roma or Irish Traveller

Any other White background

Black or Black British - Caribbean

<0.5%

Black or Black British - African

<0.5%

Any other Black background

Mixed - White & Black Caribbean/Black British Caribbean

<0.5%

Mixed - White & Black African Black British African

Mixed - White & Asian/British Asian

0% <0.5%

Any other Mixed background

Asian or Asian British - Indian

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani

Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi

Asian or Asian British - Chinese

0% <0.5%

Any other Asian background

Any other ethnic group

Prefer not to say

<0.5%

<0.5% <0.5% 5%

Cheltenham Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Survey 2019

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