Place Survey
Lytham Windmill with champagne strawberries
The district of Fylde has scored extremely highly in the Audit Commission’s Place Survey, the final results of which have just been published.
You speak and we listen.
In 2008/09 the Place Survey was carried out to test the satisfaction and perception of Fylde's residents with the public services provided in the district. The Place Survey is a comprehensive source of data that gives a very reliable picture of performance and satisfaction as perceived by the tax paying residents. Members and partners in the community have a responsibility to build on the strengths and address the weaknesses highlighted by the survey results.
Fairhaven Lake
The information from the Place Survey will be used by the local authority and partners to inform decision making around resource allocations and service priorities over the coming years. In many instances the data from the survey will prompt additional research and investigation into the issues raised and the reasons behind the results. The ability to compare outcomes with other local authorities on a like for like basis allows performance to be placed into context with the regional and national picture.
Communities Secretary John Denham said "the results of the Place Survey based on more than 500,000 people's views and perceptions about where they live their local demonstrates the importance of listening to local people and what they want for area.”
St. Annes Pier and Beach
The national headlines from the survey include:
- 86% are satisfied with their local area as a place to live in Fylde (80% nationally)
- 35% agreed that their local council provided value for money in Fylde (33% nationally).
The Place Survey will ask questions concerned with the following issues:
- Percentage of people who believe people from different backgrounds get on well together in their local area
- Percentage of people who feel that they belong to their neighbourhood
- Civic participation in the local area
- Percentage of people who feel they can influence decisions in their locality
- Overall/general satisfaction with local area
- Participation in regular volunteering
- Perceptions of anti-social behaviour
- Dealing with local concerns about anti-social behaviour and crime by the local council and police
- Perceptions of parents taking responsibility for the behaviour of their children in the area
- Perceptions that people in the area treat one another with respect and consideration
- Understanding of local concerns about anti-social behaviour and crime by the local council and police
- Awareness of civil protection arrangements in the local area
- Perceptions of drunk or rowdy behaviour as a problem
- Perceptions of drug use or drug dealing as a problem
- Self reported measure of people's overall health and wellbeing
- Healthy life expectancy at age 65
- Satisfaction of people over 65 with both home and neighbourhood
- The extent to which older people receive the support they need to live independently at home
- Fair treatment by local servic
The Place Survey replaces the old Best Value General Survey previously undertaken by the Council every three years. The survey was most recently carried out in the autumn of 2006 when 2700 households across the district were sent questionnaires to survey their opinions.
How did Fylde score?
Outdoor Dining - Lytham Piazza
Compared against all North West District Councils:
- 1st for percentage of people who believe people from different backgrounds get on well together in their local area, ranked 19 of all district councils (352).
- 1st for understanding of local concerns about anti-social behaviour and crime by the local council and police, ranked 3 of all district councils (352).
- 2nd with local tips/household waste recycling centres, ranked 5 of all district councils (352).
- 2nd with keeping public land clear of litter and refuse.
- 2nd for overall / general satisfaction with local area with 86%.
- 2nd with participation in regular volunteerin
- 2nd with percentage with prevalence of antisocial behaviour as problem in their area.
- 2nd with satisfaction of people over 65 with both home and neighbourhood.
- 2nd with perceptions of parents taking responsibility for the behaviour of their children in the area.
- 2nd with perceptions that people in the area do not treat one another with respect and consideration.
- 2nd with self-reported measure of people’s overall health and wellbeing.
- 2nd with percentage of people who feel they can influence decisions in their locality.
- 3rd for civic participation in the local area.
- 3rd with dealing with local concerns about anti-social behaviour and crime by the local council and police, ranked 32 of all district councils (352).
Lake in Wrea Green
The Place Survey designed by the Audit Commission holds 18 national indicators. Comparing our results with all England quartiles Fylde scored eight in top, ten in middle with an impressive none in the bottom.
Why We Call it the 'Place' Survey
The Place Survey was given its name by the Government because it is a national survey about how residents feel about the place where they live and their quality of life in that place. There are questions on things like crime, health, leisure, etc. It is about how people live and their experiences of their area and their local public services.
The Council contracted with Ipsos MORI to run the survey. They were selected in a tendering procedure lead by Lancashire County Council because all the local District authorities in North West decided to act as a consortium. A consortium approach made sense to us because all North West authorities had to do the same survey at the same time using similar letters and questionnaires. This achieved value for money initiatives and also officer time that could be used elsewhere.
Who Got the Place Survey
Fireworks on Lytham Green
The selection of the 3000 households was done by Ipsos MORI, on the Council's behalf, from a list of 6000 households provided by central Government. The Council doesn't know which household got the survey. Only households who received a survey through the post were able to complete the survey.
Why the Survey is Important
We will use the results of the survey for a range of purposes. We have shared the provisional results with all our partners in the Fylde Local Strategic Partnership: including Lancashire County Council, Fylde Police, Fylde Fire and Rescue. We will share the final report with our partners organisation's as well.
Most of the questions are compared against areas across the country so that we can see if Fylde is different. Some of the questions give the results for National Indicators. National Indicators are a set of 200 performance measurements that public organisations are legally required to measure. Together the national indicators give an overall picture of living in Fylde.
"Over 1200 households sent in a response, our response rate at Fylde was nearly 42%, which is in excess of the research industry standard 1100 sample required from a population for the data to be statistically representative. thank you"
To see the full breakdown of the results compared against national averages see the following documents available on the right hand side.
