Cumbria Quality of Life Survey 2006 Cumbria Headline Report

Cumbria Quality of Life Survey 2006

Cumbria Headline Report

2

Part 1: Key findings

3

Key findings (1)

Levels of satisfaction with the local area are high – 88% of residents say they are satisfied.

Residents perceive the County as a relatively safe place to live – 21% say they feel unsafe in their local area outside after dark. This compares with around three in ten people nationally (British Crime Survey 2005/6).

Levels of volunteering are above average, with a third saying they have volunteered in the last twelve months, compared to national survey data showing around a quarter of people volunteering nationally (Ipsos MORI Social Issues Omnibus, 2006).

4

Key findings (2)

A strong sense of community cohesion is evident – two thirds of residents say they feel they belong to their community and trust most people locally. Half of residents believe people in their neighbourhood are able to influence local decision-making by working together.

Many residents are keen to have more of a say in Council decisions, with two in five giving this view, compared to around one in five residents nationally (source: Ipsos MORI research for the DCLG).

Broadly speaking, residents think service delivery in the local area is good. Satisfaction is particularly high with libraries, parks and green spaces, fire and rescue services, hospitals and local GPs.

5

Key findings (3)

Improving the availability of activities for teenagers, access to affordable decent housing and road and pavement repairs are residents’ top three priorities for their local area.

Liveability issues are an important driver of residents’ satisfaction with the local area, as illustrated by the finding that those residents (one in five) who believe their local area has got worse in recent years give liveability issues as their main reason for this view. This is consistent with recent analysis published by Ipsos MORI suggesting that ‘physical capital’ has a clear relationship with quality of life in Britain.

In this context, improving the cleanliness of streets, road and path maintenance and dealing with litter are likely to drive up satisfaction with the Council among residents.

6

Key findings (4)

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a key concern for residents – and most do not feel well informed about what is being done to combat it. Addressing ASB issues visibly, and communicating to residents that action is being taken, will be important challenges for the Council and partner agencies dealing with ASB in Cumbria.

While residents are broadly satisfied with local service delivery, the services or facilities they are most dissatisfied with are the availability and quality of dentists, public toilets and the availability of suitable housing.

7

Guidelines for interpreting the survey data

8

Interpretation of the data

A sample, not the entire population of Cumbria, has returned a survey questionnaire. All results are therefore subject to sampling tolerances, and not all differences between percentages are statistically significant. As a guide, when comparing Cumbria against the districts there needs to be a difference of 6 percentage points for that difference to be statistically significant.

Data have been weighted to the known demographic profile of the area from the 2001 Census and to account for relative differences in the population size of districts.

Where percentages do not sum to 100, this may be due to computer rounding, the exclusion of ‘don’t know’ categories, or it being possible to give multiple answers to that question.

In this headline report, reference is made to ‘net’ figures. This represents the balance of opinion on attitudinal questions, and provides a useful means of comparing the results for number variables. For example, if 40% of residents are satisfied and 25% dissatisfied, the ‘net satisfaction’ figure is +15 points.

9

Part 2: Liveability in Cumbria

10

Quality of Life

Cumbria QoL

31%

24%

22%

22%21%

31%

55%

50%

48%

39%

35%

34%

20%

26%

66%

52%

49%

31%

36%

37%

Q Thinking generally, which of the things below would you say are most important in making somewhere a good place to live?

Base: QoL 2006: 2,133 Cumbria residents; 1,137 BVPI 2003/04 residents

2003/04 Cumbria BVPI% Top ten mentions

Affordable decent housing

Clean streets

Health services

Job prospects

Level of crime

Education provision

Shopping facilities

Public transport

Wage levels/cost of living

Access to nature

11

Improvements to the local area

Cumbria

26%

26%

22%

21%28%

36%

50%

38%

37%

34%

28%

27%

29%

29%

37%

30%

34%

37%

28%

20%

Q And thinking about this local area, which of the things below, if any, do you think most need improving?

Base: 2,133 Cumbria residents; 1,137 BVPI 2003/04 residents

2003/04 Cumbria BVPI

Activities for teenagers

Clean streets

Health services

Job prospects

Level of crime

Road/pavement repairs

Wage levels/cost of living

Public transport

Traffic congestion

Affordable housing

% Top ten mentions

12

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Importance vs. need for improvement

Access to nature

Activities for teenagers

% Most need improving

% Most important

Affordable decent housing

Clean streets

Community activities

Cultural facilities

Education provision

Facilities for young children

Job prospects

The level of crime

Level of pollutionLevel of traffic congestionParks and open spaces

Public transport

Race relations

Road and pavement repairs

Shopping facilities

Sports and leisure facilities

Wage levels and local cost of living

Base: 2,133 Cumbria residents

Health services

13

34%

54%

7%4%

2%

Satisfaction with local area

Very satisfied

Don’t know/not stated

Not very satisfied

Fairly satisfied

Not at all satisfied

Q Overall how satisfied are you with your local area as a place to live?

Base: 2,133 Cumbria; 373 Allerdale; 314 Barrow; 362 Carlisle; 325 Copeland; 389 Eden; 370 South Lakeland residents

Sat%

Not sat%

Cumbria 88 8

Allerdale 90 6

Barrow 83 13

Carlisle 84 13

Copeland 86 9

Eden 93 3

South Lakeland 90 4

14

Q Overall how satisfied are you with your local area as a place to live?

79%

84%

71%

70%

77%

89%

89%

Satisfaction with Cumbria and districts

±% Net satisfaction


Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

15

Q On the whole, do you think over the last 3 years your local area has got better, got worse or stayed the same?

Changes in local area


Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

7

5

8

10

5

4

7

73

63

54

64

74

69

19

16

20

29

21

13

16

65

% Better % Worse% Same

16

Comments about local area

Q Why do you say the local area has got worse?


Most frequent responses: Environment (17%) Transport (10%)Crime and safety (9%)

Q Why do you say the local area has got better?Most frequent responses: Community (5%)

Local amenities and facilities (3%) Environment (2%)

Further responses: Children/young people (7%)Housing and business development (6%)Local amenities and facilities (4%) Community (2%)Other negative comments (6%)

Further responses: Crime and safety (2%)Housing and business development (2%)Other positive comments (6%)

17

19%

30%30%

13%7%

Agree%

Disagree%

Gender

Male 21 47

Female 19 40

Age

16-34 14 50

35-54 19 46

55+ 25 37

Working status

Working 18 46

Not working 23 40

Influence over decision-making (1)

Strongly agree 1%

Strongly disagree

Neither/nor

Agree

Disagree

Q To what extent do you agree with the following statements?‘I can influence decisions that affect my local area’


Not stated

18

Influence over decision-making (2)

Q To what extent do you agree with the following statement?‘I can influence decisions that affect my local area’


Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

% Agree% Disagree

43

47

39

52

42

42

20

19

18

20

16

25

23

44

19

1%

8%

43%

38%

4%

6%

Q Which of these statements below comes closest to your own attitudes towards your district and county council?

Interest in the Council and decision-making


I’m not interested in what the council does, or whether they do their job

I’m not interested in what the council does as long as they do their job

I like to know what the council is doing, but I'm happy to let them get on with their job

I would like to have more of a say in what the council does

I already work for, or am involved with, the council

Don’t know/not stated

20

43%

34%

37%

42%

36%

41%

35%

Involvement with the Council (1)

Male

Female

Q Which of these statements below comes closest to your own attitudes towards your district and county council? All those agreeing with: ‘I would like to have more of a say in what the council does, and the services it provides’

Gender

Age

Working status

Working

Not working

16-34

35-54

55+


21

Q Which of these statements below comes closest to your own attitudes towards your district and county council? All those agreeing with: ‘I would like to have more of a say in what the council does, and the services it provides’

38%

36%

43%

34%

40%

37%

41%

Involvement with Council (2)


Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

22

Part 3: Community and Safety

23

8

11

8

51

48

63

64

19

Attitudes to neighbourhood

% Agree % Disagree

Q To what extent do you agree with the following statements?


By working together people in my neighbourhood can influence decisions that affect their neighbourhoodIn my local area people from different backgrounds get on well together (e.g. race, disability, social group)

I trust many or most of the people locally

I feel I belong to my local area

24

37%

36%

11%

7%

8%

Time spent on voluntary work

Less than 2 hours

2-5 hours

Q If you have volunteered during the last year, roughly how many total hours have you volunteered, on average, per week?

6-9 hours

10-13 hours

14 hours plus

‘Volunteered during the past year’

Yes 35%

No 61%

Base: All those who say they have volunteered in the last year (781)

25

46

57

61

53

34

37

48

51

41

35

44

62

60

49

Fear of crime

% Not worried % Worried

Q How worried are you about being a victim of any type of crime in your local area?


Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

26

12%

13%

16%

14%

10%

7%

11%

Having been a victim of crime

Q Have you been a victim of any type of crime in the past 12 months?

% ‘Yes’


Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

27

Q How safe or unsafe do you feel in your local area, i.e. the area within 15-20 minutes of your home?

55%

92%

94%

95%

Perceptions of safety in local area (1)

Outdoors after dark

±% Net safe

Indoors after dark

Outdoors during the day

Indoors during the day


28

55%

61%

50%

28%

53%

67%

74%

Perceptions of safety in local area (2)

Q How safe or unsafe do you feel in your local area, i.e. the area within 15-20 minutes of your home?


Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

±% Net safe outdoors after dark

29

Change in local area with regard to crime and safety

Q In terms of crime and safety, do you feel in the last 3 years your local area has got better, worse or stayed the same?

Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

5

7

7

6

6

2

3

67

64

63

62

72

74

17

16

19

20

22

16

12

67

% Better % Worse% Same


30

Anti-social behaviour (1)

Q How much of a problem do you feel that the following are in your local area?

37

37

42

34

36

43

59

35

37

35

26

20

34

27

21

16

16

14

12

7

20

Base: 2,133 Cumbria residents. Note: the chart does not include don’t know or not stated responses

% Not a problem % A serious problem% A minor problem

Crimes against your property

Parents not taking responsibility for the behaviour of their children

People not treating other people with respect

People dealing drugs

Teenagers hanging around

People using drugs

People being drunk or rowdy in public places

31

Anti-social behaviour (2)

Q How much of a problem do you feel that the following are in your local area?

66

71

63

70

74

76

22

13

18

17

7

6

5

3

3

2

2

5


Noisy neighbours or loud parties

People being attacked because of skin colour, ethnic or religion

People sleeping rough

Abandoned or burnt-out cars

Deliberate rubbish/wheelie bin fires

Door step crimes



32

2

2

2

2

1

3

3

20

21

16

18

20

21

22

36

45

32

34

34

38

27

26

26

32

34

26

20

15

16

10

17

11

17

17

35

Tackling anti-social behaviour

% Not very well informed

% Don’t know/ not stated

% Not well informed at all

% Very well informed

% Fairly well informed

Q How well informed do you feel about what is being done to tackle anti-social behaviour in your local area?


Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

33

1

1

3

1

2

1

2

28

29

29

26

31

31

28

32

35

35

31

29

26

13

13

15

17

14

12

9

25

22

19

21

22

26

36

35

Effectiveness of the criminal justice system

% Not very effective

% Don’t know/ not stated

% Not at all effective

% Very effective

% Fairly effective

Q How effective do you feel the criminal justice system in Cumbria is in bringing offenders to justice?


Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

34

Part 4: Environment, Local Services and Transport

35

Environmental issues (1)

Q How big a problem do you think the following environmental issues are in your local area?

20

28

27

42

42

48

44

47

36

40

28

21

16

11

24



Dog fouling

Rubbish and litter lying around

Roads and footpaths in poor condition

Pavements blocked by parked cars

Vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property or vehicles


36

Environmental issues (2)

Q How big a problem do you think the following environmental issues are in your local area?

49

58

65

67

53

36

25

20

17

20

9

6

6

5

6


Noise pollution

State of the local river/ stream

Neglected or derelict buildings or land

Air quality and traffic pollution

The appearance or location of new developments



37

9

12

6

17

25

3

2

13

20

82

79

73

72

71

65

55

51

51

50

12

Satisfaction with local services/ facilities (all residents) (1)

% Satisfied % Dissatisfied

Q How satisfied are you with the following services or facilities in your local area?

Libraries

Hospitals

GPs

Number of parks/green spaces

Quality of parks/green spaces

Local primary schools

Opportunities for adult education

Leisure facilities for adults

Appearance of streets etc

Fire/rescue services


38

17

18

30

46

45

6

27

42

49

48

47

44

41

37

30

29

29

9

Satisfaction with local services/ facilities (all residents) (2)



Local bus services

Local train services

Children’s playgrounds/play areas

Public toilets

Local secondary schools

Leisure facs. for young people

Suitable housing

Social services

Dentists


39

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Satisfaction (all residents) vs. usage

% Used

% Satisfied

Libraries

Social services

Fire/rescue services

Hospitals

GPs

Dentists

Number of parks/green spaces

Quality of parks/green spaces

Children’s playgrounds

Public toilets

Local bus services

Local train services

Opps. for adult education

Leisure facilities for young people

Leisure facilities for adults


40

7

8

12

12

17

14

21

91

90

88

85

84

80

78

76

6

Satisfaction with local services/ facilities among users (1)



Base: All users. Please note: Base sizes in brackets above

Libraries (1,236)

Social services (277)

Fire/rescue services (80)

Hospitals (1,466)

GPs (1,927)

Number of parks/green spaces (1,348)

Quality of parks/green spaces (1,348)

Opps. for adult education (356)

41

23

23

32

34

43

50

75

73

73

66

60

54

45

19

Satisfaction with local services/ facilities among users (2)



Train services (816)

Children’s playgrounds/play areas (675)

Bus services (962)

Leisure facilities for young people (395)

Leisure facilities for adults (742)

Public toilets (1,012)

Dentists (1,442)

Base: All users. Please note: Base sizes in brackets above

42

Forms of transport

Q Please list your main form of transport for different journeys on a typical weekday:

5

7

7

7

78

82

71

74

16

21

19

10

Base: All those who travel. Base sizes in brackets above.

% Public transport % Pedestrian/cyclist% Car/motorbike

Work (1,178)

Shopping (2,020)

Leisure (1,861)

Medical/clinic (1,830)

43

30%

40%37%

57%

18%15%

18%

11%

17% 15%

48%

25%

33%

12%11% 13%

Work (1,138)

Shopping (1,973)

Leisure (1,674)


Distances travelled

Q Please list how many miles you travel for different journeys on a typical weekday:

5-8 miles3-4 milesUnder 3 miles

Base: All those who stated how far they travel. Base sizes in brackets above.

More than 8 miles

44

24%

3%

10% 11%

44%

34%

52%

16%13%

17%

8%4% 4%

6%2%

4%1%

5%2%

28% 29%34%

23%25%

Work (1,633)

Shopping (2,013)

Leisure (1,812)


Time travelled

Q Please list how much time it takes you to travel for different journeys on a typical weekday:

Base: All those who stated how far they travel. Base sizes in brackets above.

15-29 mins>15 minsNone 30-59 mins 1-2 hours <2 hours

45

Part 5: Health and Well-being

46

20

20

15

17

20

19

26

57

58

54

60

51

65

57

16

22

17

19

13

12

3

3

6

4

2

1

1

115

Happiness

% Neither/nor % Very unhappy% Unhappy% Very happy % Happy

Q Taking all things together, would you say in general you are…?


Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

47

22

20

21

22

23

24

25

42

46

40

38

40

50

40

25

29

28

23

21

24

6

6

7

7

7

4

6

1

2

2

2

1

1

1

24

Health

% Fair % Very bad% Bad% Very good % Good

Q Over the last 12 months, would you say that on the whole your health has been…


Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

48

88

22

9

74

Disability

Q Do you have any long term illness, health problem or disability which limits your daily activities or the work you can do?

Q Do you think of yourself as a disabled person?% Yes % No

Long term illness, health problem or disability

Think of yourself as a disabled person


49

33%

31%

38%

40%

33%

27%

27%

Smoking

Q Do you smoke cigarettes at all nowadays?

% ‘Yes’

Base: All who have ever smoked cigarettes, cigars or other tobacco products: 1,038 Cumbria; 179 Allerdale; 167 Barrow; 173 Carlisle; 148 Copeland; 205 Eden; 166 South Lakeland

Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

50

Q On a typical day, how many portions of fruit and vegetables do you eat?

Diet

61%

69%

71%

76%

71%

66%

68%

36%

28%

26%

22%

27%

27%

31%

5+Less than 4


Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

51

Q In an average week, how many units of alcohol do you drink?

Alcohol consumption

15%

8%

Male (Drink more than 21 units per week)

Female (Drink more than 14 units per week)


52

32%

21%

29%

7%

3%

4%

Moderate exercise

Q How often do you take moderate exercise?

1-3 times a week

Less than once a month

More than once a month, but less than once a week

Every day

4-6 times a week

Never


53

4%

10%

32%

18%

11%

22%

Vigorous exercise

Q How often do you take vigorous exercise?

1-3 times a week

Less than once a month

More than once a month, but less than once a week

Every day

4-6 times a week

Never


54

Q How much do you weigh?Q How tall are you?

BMI

25.9

26.0

25.7

26.6

25.6

26.7

26.1

24.1

24.7

25.1

25.4

24.2

24.7

25.1

FemaleMale

Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

Mean

Base: All except pregnant women: 2,125 Cumbria; 372 Allerdale; 312 Barrow; 361 Carlisle; 324 Copeland; 387 Eden; 369 South Lakeland

55

10%

9%

13%

8%

12%

10%

8%

Obesity

% Obese

Base: All except pregnant women: 2,125 Cumbria; 372 Allerdale; 312 Barrow; 361 Carlisle; 324 Copeland; 387 Eden; 369 South Lakeland

Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

Q How much do you weigh?Q How tall are you?

NB: Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated by dividing weight (in kg) by height (in metres) squared. Those with a BMI of 30 or more are classified as obese.

56

Q Which of the following best describes your sexuality?

Sexuality

85%

17%

17%

13%

18%

23%

17%

14%

80%

79%

85%

78%

74%

80%

1%

3%

5%

3%

3%

3%

2%

Not heterosexualHeterosexual


Allerdale

Cumbria

Barrow

Carlisle

Copeland

Eden

South Lakeland

Not stated/prefer not to say

Documents

Cumbria Quality of Life Survey 2006 Cumbria Headline Report