Research Report Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014
FINAL
Prepared for: Vale of Glamorgan
Prepared by: Beaufort Research
Contact Details
Agency contact: Chris Timmins
Project: B01435
Date: October 2014
Beaufort Research
2 Museum Place Cardiff CF10 3BG
Tel: (029) 2037 8565 Fax: (029) 2037 0600
E-mail: [email protected]
www.beaufortresearch.co.uk
Terms of Contract
Unless otherwise agreed, the findings of this study remain the copyright of Beaufort Research Ltd and may not be quoted, published or reproduced without the company’s advance approval.
Approval to quote or publish will only be withheld on the grounds of inaccuracy or misrepresentation.
Any approved publication must detail: Beaufort Research Ltd as provider, sample size and field dates.
© Beaufort Research Ltd 2014
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 2
Contents
1. Executive summary ...... 4 2. Introduction ...... 8 2.1 Background and Objectives ...... 8 2.2 Research Method ...... 8 3. Awareness of the Council ...... 11 3.1 Knowledge of what the Council does ...... 11 3.2 Where do residents find information about the Council ...... 12 3.3 Knowledge of Council budget cuts and potential solutions ...... 16 4. Contact with the Council ...... 22 4.1 Contact with the council in the last 12 months ...... 22 4.2 Accessing services online ...... 25 4.3 Ability to influence decisions ...... 29 5. Overall opinion of Council services and living in the Vale ...... 31 5.1 Overall satisfaction with Council services ...... 31 5.2 Attitudes towards living in the Vale ...... 34 6. Opinion of different elements of Council Service ...... 37 6.1 Town Centres ...... 37 6.2 Leisure Centres ...... 42 6.3 Highways Maintenance ...... 44 6.4 Parks and grounds maintenance ...... 46 6.5 Waste management and cleanliness of local area ...... 49 7. Housing situation ...... 52 7.1 Current tenure ...... 52 7.2 Planning to move ...... 52 Appendix 1 - Survey Questionnaire ...... 54
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 3
1. Executive summary
Research method
. A total of 904 interviews were conducted with a representative sample of Vale adults aged 16+. All interviews were conducted face to face in respondents’ homes between 30 July 2014 and 15 September 2014.
Awareness of the Council
. Vale of Glamorgan residents’ knowledge of their council was mixed. Half thought that they either knew a lot (10%) or enough (40%) with other half admitting that they knew some, but not enough (33%) or nothing at all (16%).
. Just over half (56%) of residents report receiving information about the Council from Council sources with letters and leaflets through the post being the most likely source.
. Those living in Barry were much less likely than in other areas to report that they had received information from Council sources.
. In general, those receiving information from Council services were happy with it – around 9 in 10 (91%) reported that they were satisfied with what they had received, although more were fairly satisfied (54%) than very satisfied (37%).
. In terms of different media sources, residents’ were most likely to find out information or news about the Council from the traditional print press – three quarters of our sample stating that they found out information from newspapers compared with 42% who accessed information about the council from TV and 25% who used websites for this.
. Of the printed papers, the Glamorgan Gem was most widely used with around half (51%) finding out information about the Council in this way.
Budget cuts and potential solutions
. Public understanding of the full context in which the Council is working was found to be relatively limited. When prompted with detail about the extent of the budget cuts (£35.5 million of savings over the next three years), only 14% were fully aware of the extent of the savings required.
. Furthermore 31% said they were aware but not to the full extent with the majority, 55%, reporting that they didn’t know that the Council faced this issue.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 4
. Reaction to the option of some Council services being delivered by other organisations was mixed. Around half (46%) said that they would be happy for this to happen, but around a quarter (26%) would not. The remaining 28% would not commit either way at this stage perhaps requiring a little more information on which services would be included.
. When presented with four options to raise money, the clear preference among residents was for the Council to develop new services that would generate revenue (72%) rather than other options that would have financial implications for residents themselves (increasing Council tax, charge for services that are free, increase charges for services that people pay for).
. There appeared to be some potential for increased levels of volunteering. Among those who were not currently volunteering (84% of the Vale population), around a quarter (27%) said they would consider doing so to support a community service in their area.
Contact with the Council
. In the last 12 months, around half (52%) of Vale of Glamorgan residents have contacted the Council and this represents an increasing trend (from 46% in 2012 and 35% in 2009).
. Telephone remains the most likely way in which to contact the Council (66%) but the use of internet / website as a contact method has grown significantly as a contact method in the last 2 years – 27% using it in 2014 compared with 5% in 2012.
. The proportion of Vale residents visiting the Council website at all has increased from 42% in 2012 to 47% in 2014.
. When prompted with a number of services that could be accessed via the Council website such as applying for a job, making a complaint and paying bills, a majority (of Council website users) were aware that these services existed.
. Only a quarter of residents agreed that they could influence decisions made by the Council and this represents a sharp fall from 2012 (44% agreed).
Overall opinion of Council services
. The vast majority (84%) of Vale of Glamorgan residents remain satisfied overall with the service provided by the Vale of Glamorgan. However, this represents a fall in positive public opinion compared with 2012 when overall satisfaction stood at 93%.
. Whilst public knowledge of the budget cuts faced by councils does not impact on satisfaction, when we broaden this out to general level of knowledge of what the
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 5
council does, differences in satisfaction were apparent – those knowing more about the Council being more satisfied.
. Some reasons for dissatisfaction were related to specific services such as refuse collection / recycling and road maintenance / road network. However, other issues were related to how residents felt they were treated – i.e. lack of consultation and poor service when dealing with enquiries or complaints.
Opinion of different elements of Council Service
. The majority of residents reported that they were satisfied with a range of different Council services. However, as with overall satisfaction, levels have declined somewhat in the last 2 years.
. Indivudual aspects of service which have particularly low satisfaction levels include:
. Pavement maintenance – 51% (68% in 2012)
. Road maintenance – 41% (42% in 2012)
. Public toilets – 57% (73% in 2012)
. Ratings of town centres vary across the county with Cowbridge and Llanwit Major being viewed more favourably than Barry and Penarth.
. Those with less favourable views of their town centres cite a run down or shabby look, a poor choice of shops or too many charity shops as reasons for this.
Conclusions
It is inescapable that the 2014 survey finds a reduction in resident satisfaction with Council services compared with previous findings and this perhaps is not surprising given the budgetary pressures on services over recent years.
Whilst direct experience of individual services influences how residents view the Council overall, this is not the only contributory factor. Many of those who were dissatisfied report that this was down to a lack of contact (i.e. consultation) or poor quality contact (i.e. how they were dealt with following an enquiry or complaint).
Improving communication and contact with residents will help to increase overall satisfaction with the Council as the survey also demonstrates that those with greater knowledge of what the Council does and those who believe they can influence Council decisions are more satisfied overall.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 6
Over recent years, usage of electronic forms of communication to and from the Council has grown – almost half of residents now visit the Council website and therefore this provides an opportunity for communication. However, the survey also shows that visiting the website for a proportion of residents is on a fairly infrequent basis, possibly linked to when the need arises rather than being a routine way of accessing information. As such to fully take advantage of the potential of this online communication method the Council needs to increase traffic to its website. In the meantime, communication of Council information and news via the website should be regarded as one of, rather than the sole delivery mechanism.
As one might expect, there appears to be little appetite for the Council increasing or introducing fees for its services. However, if the Council can harness the reported willingness to engage in volunteer activity then this may ease the burden on some services.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 7
2. Introduction 2.1 Background and Objectives
The Vale of Glamorgan Council required survey research with a representative sample of its residents across the unitary authority. The aim of the survey was to build on previous residents surveys, conducted at approximately two-year intervals, to:
. Understand awareness and knowledge of the Council’s role, activities and the context it is operating in; . Understand how the public want to contact the Council and their opinion of information they have received; . Understand the degree to which the public wishes to access Council services online; . Measure overall satisfaction with the service provided by the Council; . Measure satisfaction with a range of Council services and any changes that may have occurred over time.
The data gathered will be used to provide a strategic steer and in some cases as an evidence base for future decisions.
2.2 Research Method
The research method adopted for the 2014 survey was designed to match that used in the 2011/12 residents’ survey to aid comparability.
An in-home face to face interview was conducted with 904 residents aged 16+. All had to be resident in Vale of Glamorgan Unitary Authority. Exclusions applied to anyone who worked personally for Vale of Glamorgan Council. All interviews were conducted between the 30th July 2014 and the 15th September 2014.
Three sampling areas were identified for this survey:
• West & Central (incl. Cowbridge, Llantwit Major and St. Athan) • Barry • East Vale (incl. Penarth & Sully)
Quotas were set on age within gender, by the three areas above, and also a non- interlocking quota on socio economic grade was set to ensure a representative sample of residents in the Vale of Glamorgan area was interviewed. At 904, the sample size for the 2014 was slightly less than in 2011/2 (1,012) in order to meet budgetary requirements. However, the impact on robustness of the overall data is relatively limited as shown in the table below:
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 8
Standard error at 95% confidence level (excluding survey design factors) Survey measure 50% 70%/30% 90%/10%
Sample size
1,012 +/-3.1 +/-2.8 +/-1.9 904 +/-3.3 +/-3.0 +/-2.0 How to read the above table: For example, if 50% of our overall sample of 904 adults said they were satisfied with Council services we could say with 95% confidence that the true proportion that were satisfied with Council services among the total universe (all Vale of Glamorgan residents) was between 46.7% and 53.3% (i.e. +/- 3.3%).
The table below profiles the population within each electoral ward area, and the number of sampling points undertaken in each area.
% of VoG No. of sample population points Llantwit Major 8.4% 7 Cadoc 7.9% 6 Illtyd 6.5% 5 Dinas Powys 6.2% 5 Rhoose 5.5% 4 St. Augustine`s 5.1% 4 Buttrills 5.0% 4 Cowbridge 4.9% 4 Baruc 4.9% 4 Gibbonsdown 4.7% 4 Plymouth 4.6% 4 Cornerswell 4.2% 3 Dyfan 4.1% 3 Castleland 4.1% 3 Court 3.7% 3 Sully 3.6% 3 Stanwell 3.5% 2 St. Athan 3.5% 2 Wenvoe 2.1% 2 St. Bride`s Major 2.1% 2 Llandow/Ewenny 2.0% 1 Peterston-super-Ely 1.8% 1 Llandough 1.6% 1 Vale of Glamorgan TOTAL 100% 77
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 9
Weighting was applied to the data set using Vale of Glamorgan population data from the Census. This corrects any minor imbalances in the dataset, ensuring it is a fully representative sample of residents in the Vale of Glamorgan. The sample profile from the research is as follows and shows both un-weighted and weighted data.
Un-weighted % Weighted %
West & Central 28 28 Barry 44 45 East Vale 27 27
Male 45 48 Female 55 52
16-34 23 27 35-54 33 38 55+ 44 35
AB 24 23 C1 31 31 C2 18 18 DE 27 27 ABC1 55 55 C2DE 45 45
White 98 98 Other 2 2
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 10
3. Awareness of the Council
3.1 Knowledge of what Council does
Vale of Glamorgan residents’ knowledge of their council was mixed. Half thought that they either knew a lot (10%) or enough (40%) with other half admitting that knew some, but not enough (33%) or nothing at all (16%).
Knowledge of council activities was slightly higher among those aged 35+ (52% a lot / enough) than it was for those under 35 (44%). A similar difference was recorded when examining findings among those of different social grades1, with ABC1s more knowledgeable about the council (55%) than C2DEs (43%). Reported knowledge was also higher among men (53%) than women (46%).
Figure 1
Knowledge of what Council does: All & Demographics
All Male Female 16-34 35-54 55+ ABC1 C2DE 5 5 10 8 10 A lot 11 12 13
39 38 38 Enough 40 42 42 40 42
% Some, but not enough 32 34 35 33 31 30 37 32 Very little at all 23 20 16 17 16 15 11 12
Base: All (904), Male (407), Female (497), 16-34 (207), 35-54 (298), 55+ (398), ABC1 (498), C2DE (406)
In terms of region, claimed level of knowledge of Council activities was relatively similar as shown in figure 2.
1 Social grade is socio-economic classification system based on the occupation of the Chief Income Earner in the household.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 11
Figure 2
Knowledge of what Council does: All & By Region
West & All Central Barry East 7 A lot 10 10 14
Enough 40 38 46 33
Some, but % not enough
32 36 33 31 Very little at all
16 18 15 15
Base: All (904), West & Central (257), Barry (399), East (248)
3.2 Where do residents find information about the Council
The survey sought to understand where residents find out information about the Council including both Council sources and the wider media.
3.2.1 Council sources
Taking Council sources first, over half (56%) have accessed or received information from one of the eight Council sources listed in figure 3. Letters and leaflets through the post were most likely source of information provided by the Council. Almost twice as many residents recall receiving or accessing information in this way (35%) compared with the next most commonly cited source – the Council website (19%).
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 12
Figure 3 Received or accessed information from Council sources in last 12 months
Letters / leaflets through post 35
Council website 19
Council e-newsletter 10
Leaflets with binbags 9 %
On local notice boards 7 56% have received In person at Council offices 3 information from at least one Council Public meetings 2 source
Through local councillor 2
Base: All (904)
The proportion of people who recall receiving information from Council sources varies considerably by region and different demographic groups.
At around two-fifths (40%) residents living in Barry were much less likely to recall receiving information from Council sources than those living in West & Central (63%) or East Vale (74%). Younger residents and also those in social grade C2DE were also less likely to recall receiving information (47% and 45% respectively) as shown in figure 4.
Figure 4 Received or accessed information from Council sources in last 12 months - % at least one source
All 56
West & Central 63
Barry 40
East 74
16-34 47 % 35-54 61
55+ 57
ABC1 65
C2DE 45
Base: All (904), W&C (257), Barry (399), East (248) 16-34 (207), 35-54 (298), 55+ (398), ABC1 (498), C2DE (406)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 13
In general, those receiving information from Council services were happy with it – around 9 in 10 (91%) reported that they were satisfied with what they had received, although more were fairly satisfied (54%) than very satisfied (37%).
Amongst the small minority who were dissatisfied, the main complaint was that not enough information was being provided, whilst others believed there was a lack of consultation or listening on the Council’s behalf.
3.2.2 The media
In terms of different media sources, residents were most likely to find out information or news about the council from the traditional print press – three quarters of our sample stating that they found out information from newspapers compared with 42% who accessed information about the council from TV and 25% who used websites for this.
Of the printed papers, the Glamorgan Gem was most widely used with around half (51%) finding out information about the council in this way. This was followed by the Penarth Times (19%) and the Barry and District News (17%).
Among those gleaning information from TV, BBC Wales (40%) was a more popular source than ITV Wales (26%) and S4C (4%).
Social media (8%) and Bro radio (6%) were only used by a minority of residents as vehicle for information about the council.
Figure 5
Media sources for information about Council
Glamorgan Gem 51 BBC Wales 40 ITV Wales 26 Pemath Times 19 Barry and District News 17 77% any BBC online website 13 paper Wales online website 11 South Wales Echo 11 42% any TV % Social media 8 station Bro Radio 6 Western Mail 5 25% any Penarth Times website 4 Barry and District News website 4 website S4C 4 Glamorgan Gem website 3 Base: All (904)
The main differences in terms of how different demographic groups access information about the Council was as follows:
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 14
. Printed press was more likely to be used by older residents - 84% among 55+ compared with 68% among 16-34s. However, it’s worth noting that even among 16-34s newspapers were by far the most widely used source.
. Online sources, i.e. websites and social media were more likely to be used by those under 55.
. Bro Radio was more likely to be accessed by the youngest age group (11% compared with 3% for over 55s)
. ABC1s were more likely than C2DEs to access information about the Council from websites
. Printed press differences by region reflect the distribution area of different titles.
3.2.3 Bro Radio
Whilst 6% of residents claimed to use Bro Radio as a usual source of information about the Council, overall listenership to the station was greater than this. A quarter (25%) of Vale residents had listened at some point – this was split evenly between those who listened on a fairly frequent basis - 12% (4% daily, 8% at least once a week) and those who were only occasional listeners (13% rarely).
This represents a considerable increase in listeners compared with 2011/2 when only 15% were listeners to the station.
Figure 6
Listening to Bro Radio
4 4 4 8 Daily 7 13
At least once a week % 85 74 Rarely
Not at all
2012 2014 Base: All (2012 – 1,012, 2014 - 904)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 15
Listening was higher in Barry with 4 in 10 residents having listened to the station, with around half of these doing so on a regularly basis (6% daily, 14% at least once a week).
3.3 Knowledge of Council budget cuts and potential solutions
3.3.1 Knowledge of cuts
Public understanding of the full context in which the Council is working was found to be relatively limited. The survey posed the following question to residents:
Based on current projections, the Council estimates that it will need to find over £35.5 million of savings over the next three years. This is around 17% of the Council’s net budget. Before today, were you aware that the Council needed to find this level of savings.
Only 14% said that they were fully aware of this situation and further 31% said they were aware but not to the full extent. The majority, 55%, reported that they didn’t know that the Council faced this issue.
There were several groups of the population where lack of awareness of this issue was more prevalent, namely younger residents (72% unaware), C2DEs (65%) and women (60%) – see figure 7.
Figure 7 Awareness that Council faced £35.5million cuts over next 3 years
All Male Female 16-34 35-54 55+ ABC1 C2DE
6 12 11 14 16 16 17 16 Yes, fully aware 22 24 28 31 35 35 35 37 Yes, but not full extent %
72 60 65 No, not aware 55 49 48 48 46
Base: All (904), Male (407), Female (497), 16-34 (207), 35-54 (298), 55+ (398), ABC1 (498), C2DE (406)
3.3.2 Potential solutions
Reaction to the option of some Council services being delivered by other organisations was mixed. Around half (46%) said that they would be happy for this to happen, but around a quarter (26%) would not. The remaining 28% would not commit either way at
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 16
this stage perhaps requiring a little more information on which services would be included.
This was relatively consistent across region, although those living in Barry were slightly less keen (42%).
Figure 8 Whether happy for some services to be delivered by organisations other than the Council: All & By Region
West & All Central Barry East
Yes 42 46 48 50
No % 25 26 28 27
DK 33 28 24 22
Base: All (904), West & Central (257), Barry (399), East (248)
Resistance to the idea was slightly greater among older residents with 34% of this group ruling it out.
Those who were happy for services to be delivered by other organisations were asked which services they thought could or should be delivered by third parties. A majority (54%) of this group were unable to spontaneously name any services that they considered appropriate for this arrangement. Where services were mentioned residents tended to focus on the more functional services. Refuse collection was by far the most likely to be mentioned (19%), followed by road maintenance (7%), gardening / grounds maintenance (5%) and street / road cleaning (4%) – see figure 9.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 17
Figure 9 Which services could or should be delivered by other organisations (UNPROMPTED)
- Among those who were happy for some services to be delivered by other organisations - Refuse collection 19 Road maintenance 7 Don't mind as long as good service 6 Gardening / grounds maintenance 5 Street / road cleaning 4 Recycling 4 Libraries 3 % Transport / bus service 2 All / any services 2 Social services 1 General maintenance 1 Leisure services 1 Car parking 1 Other 6 None / Don't know 54 Base: All who were happy for some services to be delivered by other organisations (407)
Residents were also presented with four options to raise money and asked to rank them in order of preference. The options were:
. Increase Council Tax to Welsh average . Increase charges for some services that people pay for already . Charge for some services that are currently free . Develop new services that would generate income
The clear preference among residents was for the Council to develop new services that would generate revenue – 72% of residents chose this as their first preference (figure 9). Of the remaining measures, all of which would have financial implications for some / all residents, charging for some services that are currently free (17% first choice) was preferred over increasing charges for some people pay for already (6%) or increasing Council Tax to Welsh average (5%) – figure 10
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 18
Figure 10
Preferred route for Council to generate more income
Develop new services that would generate income 72
Charge for some services that are currently free 17
% Increase charges for some services that people pay for already 6
Increase Council Tax to Welsh average 5
Base: All expressing an opinion (846)
The clear preference for the Council to develop new services to generate income was apparent across all demographic groups but this was even stronger among those living in Barry (79% first choice) and 16-34s (80%).
Given the above finding it was perhaps not surprising that when residents were asked which services would be appropriate for the introduction of charges or increased charges, 8 in10 failed to name any services. The only services spontaneously mentioned by more than 1% of residents were refuse collection (4%), small charge for OAP bus passes / means test bus passes (2%) and small amount for parking (2%). A list of those mentioned by 1% or more of residents is shown in figure 11.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 19
Figure 11 Which services would be most appropriate for increasing / introducing charges (UNPROMPTED)
Refuse collection / household waste 4
Small charge for OAP travel / means test bus passes 2
Small amount for parking 2
Cut staff/ councillor's wages or expenses 2
Prescriptions 1 % Recycling / green waste 1
Library services 1
Charges at tips / landfill 1
Reduce number of senior staff / managers 1
None / Don't know 80
Base: All (904)
Whilst not raised directly in the context of providing solutions to budget cuts, the survey also explored the attitudes of residents to undertaking voluntary or community work. Currently 16% of Vale residents undertake voluntary or community work in either a formal or informal capacity. Volunteering rates were fairly across age and gender although differences were recorded by social grade – 22% of ABC1s volunteered compared with 9% of C2Des. In terms of region, volunteering was lower in Barry (10%) than it was in East Vale (19%) and West & Central (23%).
Figure 12
Currently undertake voluntary or community work
All 16
West & Central 23 Barry 10 East 19
Male 15 Female 17 % 16-34 16 35-54 15 55+ 17
ABC1 22 C2DE 9
Base: All (904), Male (407), Female (497) W&C (257), Barry (399), East (248) 16-34 (207), 35-54 (298), 55+ (398), ABC1 (498), C2DE (406)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 20
There appeared to be some potential for increased levels of volunteering. Among those who were not currently volunteering, around a quarter (27%) said they would consider doing so to support a community service in their area. This potential was higher among 16-34s where 40% of those not currently volunteering would consider doing so.
Figure 13 Would CONSIDER undertaking voluntary or community work
All 27
West & Central 21 Barry 26 East 35
Male 25 Female 28 % 16-34 40 35-54 32 55+ 11
ABC1 30 C2DE 23
Base: Those not currently undertaking voluntary work - All (759), Male (343), Female (414) W&C (195), Barry (365), East (200) 16-34 (174), 35-54 (252), 55+ (331), ABC1 (388), C2DE (369)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 21
4. Contact with the Council
4.1 Contact with the Council in the last 12 months
In the last 12 months, around half (52%) of Vale of Glamorgan residents have contacted the Council and this represents an increasing trend (from 46% in 2012 and 35% in 2009).
Figure 14
Whether contacted the Council in the last 12 months
2009 2012 2014
Yes 35 46 52
No %
65 53 47 DK
1 1
Base: All (2009 - 1,000, 2012 – 1,012, 2014 - 904)
Contact was more likely to have come from women (59%) and those in the 35-54 year old age group (59%).
Telephone (figure 12) remains the most likely way in which to contact the Council with two-thirds (66%) of those in contact choosing this method. However, its dominance as a contact method had reduced since 2012 when 85% used it.
Furthermore, the use of the internet / website as a contact method had grown significantly since 2012 – from 5% to 27% overtaking letters (7%) and in-person contact (20%), both of which remain largely unchanged since 2012. Internet / website was also a more popular method than email (19%) although this has also increased by five percentage points since 2012.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 22
Figure 15
Method of contacting the Council: 2014 vs. 2012
Telephone 85 66
Internet / website 5 27
In person 20 20
email 14 19 % 2012 2014 Letter 6 7
Via Councillor 1 3
Via MP or AM 1
During Visit from Council officer 1 1
Base: All who have contacted the Council in the last 12 months (2012 – 471, 2014 – 470)
Further questions were asked about preferred contact methods when needing to:
. Access information about the Council . Access a basic service – e.g. make an appointment . Report an incident or problem – e.g. a missed rubbish collection
For accessing information about the Council opinion was split with phone (47%) and website / email (43%) attracting preference from similar proportions of the population. This divide was very much along age and social class lines with over 55s and C2DEs preferring the phone (67% and 57% respectively) and under 55s and ABC1s preferring the website / email route (54% and 53% respectively).
However, when accessing services or reporting incidents or problems, the phone was still very much the favoured method as shown in figure 16 and this applied to all demographic groups.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 23
Figure 16
Preferred method of contact in different situations
Telephone Website / email In-person Social media
71 66
47 43 %
26 21
7 7 6 1 1 1
When accessing info When accessing basic When reporting problem about Council service – e.g. make / incident – e.g missed appointment rubbish collection Base: All (904)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 24
4.2 Accessing services online
4.2.1 Internet use
8 in 10 of Vale of Glamorgan residents were current users of the internet and this had grown from 72% in 2012. Access levels were relatively consistent across regions although East Vale residents were slightly more likely to use the internet at 85%. The biggest differentiator in terms of internet use though was age – 95% of those aged under 55 were internet users where this figure dropped to 54% among those 55+. Social grade to a lesser extent also recorded differences in access with 88% of ABC1s using the internet compared with 70% of C2DEs (figure 17)
Figure 17
Currently use the internet
All 80
West & Central 79 Barry 78 % East 85
16-34 97
35-54 92
55+ 54
ABC1 88
C2DE 70
Base: All (904), W&C (257), Barry (399), East (248) 16-34 (207), 35-54 (298), 55+ (398), ABC1 (498), C2DE (406)
Those using the internet were most likely to do so at home (98%), but approaching half of users (43%) were doing so via a mobile phone or tablet.
4.2.2 Accessing the council website and services online
Of those using the internet, 6 in 10 have visited the Council’s website in the last 12 months. This equates to 47% of all Vale of Glamorgan residents, an increase of five percentage points from 2012.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 25
Figure 18 Whether accessed the Council’s website in the last 12 months
2009 2012 2014
21
42 Yes 47
%
%
79
58 No 53
Base: All (2009 - 1,000, 2012 – 1,012, 2014 - 904)
Usage of the Council website was on a reasonably infrequent basis, the majority (63%) doing so less often than once a month perhaps using it on an as when and required basis rather something that would be routinely viewed.
When prompted with a number of services that could be accessed via the Council website, a majority (of Council website users) were aware that these services existed. As shown in figure 19, website users were most likely to be aware that generic services such as applying for a job (86%), making a complaint (83%) and paying council bills or fees (82%) were available on www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk. Access to more specialist services online such as licensing and registrar applications were less well known, reflecting their niche usage.
Figure 19
Awareness of services on Council website
- Among those who have visited Council website -
Apply for a job 86
Make a complaint 83
Pay council bills or fees 82
View planning applications 78
Arrange a waste collection 74
Make licensing applications 62 %
Make registrars applications 55
None of these 2 Base: Al who have visited the Council’s website (414)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 26
Searching for information was the major use of the Council website with two-thirds of users having done this. One in 5 users (20%) had made a payment via the website and slightly smaller proportions had asked for further information (17%) or applied for a service (15%). Motivations for using the Council website rather than other sources centred around four main themes:
. Ease of access / use (mentioned by 41% of Council website users) . Convenience including being able to access at any time of the day (35%) . Speed / being quicker than other ways (29%) . Having direct access to a broad range of information (12%)
The same group (Council website users) were also asked generally about the tasks they perform online (figure 20). There appears to be a high degree of transactional experience with 86% having undertaken online shopping, 78% having booked a travel ticket or event online and 69% having made an online application for a service or a product.
Figure 20
General online activities undertaken
- Among those who have visited Council website -
Online shopping 86
Online banking 81
Booked ticket for travel or event 78
Accessed news services 78
% Made online application for a product or service 69
None of these 3
Base: Al who have visited the Council’s website (414)
This willingness to perform a variety of tasks online indicates that there is potential to increase interaction with Council website. However, their lower level of current use of transactional activities on the Council website may reflect a lack of need at this point rather than reticence in using Council website in this way. It certainly doesn’t appear to be a lack of confidence as 98% of Council website users reported that they would be very or fairly confident in accessing basic services online. Indeed a similar level of confidence was also apparent when we broaden this out to all internet users as shown in figure 21.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 27
Figure 21 Level of confidence in accessing basic Council service online – e.g. requesting new bin
All internet users Council website users
Very confident
Fairly confident 81 89 Not very % confident
Not at all confident
13 3 9 2 1
Base: All internet users (679), Council website users (414)
When all residents were asked to consider what the Council could do to encourage them to access more of the services online (figure 22), a third (35%) responded that they already access services online wherever possible. Under 55s were more likely to state this than over 55s. Conversely, those stated that nothing would encourage them to access more services online (38% of residents) were overrepresented among the over 55 group reflecting their lower overall internet use.
Where a more constructive response was offered, having more information about what was available online (15% of all residents) was regarded as the main encouragement that the Council could provide. At a lower level, more guidance on how to access services online (6%) and more public internet access points (4%) were mentioned.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 28
Figure 22 What would encourage increased accessing of Council services online
Already access services online where possible 35
More information about what is available online 15
More guidance on how to access services online 6 %
More public internet points 4
Nothing would encourage me 38
Don't know 6
Base: Al who have visited the Council’s website (414)
A majority of residents were unsure whether the Council was currently doing enough to encourage residents to access services online (57%). Of those who did express an opinion, more were likely to feel that enough was not being done (27%) that felt there was sufficient provision in this area (16%).
4.3 Ability to influence decisions
Only a quarter of residents agreed that they could influence decisions made by the Council. Almost 6 in10 disagreed that that they could do this.
As shown in figure 23, this represents a sharp fall in the belief that the public can influence matters in comparison with 2012. This may reflect a perception of inevitability about decisions that have to be made given successive budget cuts and that these concerns that would override public opinion.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 29
Figure 23
Agreement with ability for public to influence decisions made by the Council
2012 2014 3 12 Strongly agree 22
32 Agree 27 % 21 Disagree 31 11
Strongly disagree
Base: All (2012 – 1,012, 2014 - 904)
In terms of the mechanism used if residents wanted to influence Council decisions direct contact with either Councillors (48%) or Council officers (32%) were among the most likely to be used. More indirect action such as signing a petition (36%) was also likely to be used as well as attending a meeting:
- Public / community meeting (24%) - Vale Council meeting (15%) - Town or community council meeting (13%)
Figure 24
Methods for influencing decisions
Contact my local Councillor 48
Sign a petition 36
Contact a Council officer 32
Attend a public / community meeting 24
Contact another elected officer (e.g. MP, AM, MEP) 15
Attend a Vale Council meeting 15 %
Attend a Town or Community Council meeting 13
Contact local press 8
Contact a local voluntary or community group 8
Would not attempt to influence decision 9
Don’t know 7
Base: All (904)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 30
5. Overall opinion of Council services and living in the Vale
5.1 Overall satisfaction with Council services
The vast majority (84%) of Vale of Glamorgan residents remain satisfied overall with the service provided by the Vale of Glamorgan. However, this represents a fall in positive public opinion compared with 2012 when overall satisfaction stood at 93%. This is perhaps not surprising given the context of successive years of budget cuts to public services.
There are now around 1 in 6 (16%) residents who are dissatisfied with the service provided by the Council compared with less than half this amount in 2012 (7%).
Figure 25
Overall satisfaction with Council service
2009 2012 2014
Very 22 satisfied 31 37
Fairly satisfied % 62
Fairly 62 dissatisfied 59
Very dissatisfied 11 5 2 2 5
Base: All (2009 - 1,000, 2012 – 1,012, 2014 - 904)
In terms of region, whilst East Vale may have the lowest proportion of very satisfied residents (15%), it also has (marginally) the lowest proportion of dissatisfied residents (11%). It was Barry where the greatest levels of dissatisfaction can be found (21%) and it is this region which has experienced the greatest fall in satisfaction compared with 2012, figure 26 below.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 31
Figure 26
Overall satisfaction with Council service: By Region
West & West & Central - Central - Barry - Barry - East - East - 2012 2014 2012 2014 2012 2014
15 Very 22 21 satisfied 29 36 33
Fairly satisfied % 57 73 Fairly 58 72 58 dissatisfied 59
Very 13 dissatisfied 9 8 6 7 4 41 3 2 2 3
Base: All (2009 - 1,000, 2012 – 1,012, 2014 - 904)
For other demographic groups, there were few differences in overall levels of satisfaction, although 35-54s were less likely to be very satisfied as shown in figure 27.
Figure 27 Overall Satisfaction with Council Service: All & Demographics
All Male Female 16-34 35-54 55+ ABC1 C2DE
Very satisfied 15 22 22 22 26 27 22 23
Fairly satisfied
% 67 Fairly 62 61 63 57 64 59 dissatisfied 61
Very dissatisfied 13 10 11 11 13 9 9 10 5 4 6 4 5 8 3 7
Base: All (904), Male (407), Female (497), 16-34 (207), 35-54 (298), 55+ (398), ABC1 (498), C2DE (406)
Those aware of the budget cuts that the council is facing appeared no more sympathetic than those who were not aware the cuts. Overall satisfaction among the respective groups stood at 83% and 85%. However, when we broaden this out to general level of
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 32
knowledge of what the council does, not just awareness of cuts faced, we do see differences in satisfaction levels – those who claim to know a lot / enough about what the Council does have a satisfaction level of 89% compared with 78% among those who know some, but not enough / very little.
Furthermore, those who feel that they have the ability to influence decisions that the Council make were more likely to be satisfied than those who do not feel this empowerment (92% vs. 78%).
Figure 28 Overall Satisfaction with Council Service: All & By Subgroups
Knowledge Can influence Aware cuts? of Council? decisions?
Yes – fully / A lot / Some / All partially No enough very little Agree Disagree
Very satisfied 17 22 19 24 20 25 30
Fairly satisfied % 59 62 Fairly 62 64 dissatisfied 60 65 62
Very dissatisfied 14 14 11 12 10 8 7 7 8 5 5 5 3 1
Base: All (904)
Subsequent sections will explore levels of satisfaction with different aspects of Council services and these will provide indications of what may drive overall dissatisfaction with the Council. In addition to this, a direct question was asked to understand the reasons for dissatisfaction with overall service among the minority (16% of residents) who felt this way.
Among this group, some reasons were related to specific services – refuse collection and recycling (mentioned by 15% of dissatisfied residents) and road maintenance or the road network (10%). However, other issues were related to how residents felt they were treated – i.e. lack of consultation (12%) and poor service when dealing with enquiries / complaints etc. (13%) - see figure 29.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 33
Figure 29 Reasons for dissatisfaction with overall Council service (UNPROMPTED)
- Among those who are dissatisfied -
Issues relating to refuse collection / recycling 15 Poor service (dealing with enquiries / complaints) 13 Lack of consultation 12 Negative comments about running of Council 12 Reduced service / higher tax / poor value for… 11 Issues relating to road maintenance work 10 All mentions relating to cleanliness 8 % Lack of maintenance / looks run down 7 Issues relating to transport 7 Nothing to do for kids 4 Crime / policing / safety 4 Wasting money 4 Pavements 4 Maintenance on housing 3 Facilities being lost 3 Base: Those who are dissatisfied with overall Council service (140)
5.2 Attitudes towards living in the Vale
When asked to what extent they identified themselves with the Vale, a majority appear to have a relatively strong affiliation with the area. 7 in 10 describe themselves as either feeling a strong connection to the Vale / particular part of the Vale (27%) or as primarily a Vale resident (42%). Only 1 in 10 feel no connection to the Vale with the remainder seeing themselves as part of a larger community beyond just the Vale.
Those living in the West & Central area of the Vale were most likely to have stronger affiliation with the Vale whereas for those in East Vale this association was slightly weaker as shown in figure 30.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 34
Figure 30
Extent to which identify self with Vale: All & By Region
West & All Central Barry East
Strong connection to Vale or particular part 22 27 27 of Vale 32
See myself primarily as a Vale resident
40 % See myself primarily as 42 43 part of larger 42 community beyond Vale
Do not feel any connection to the Vale 22 18 12 19
DK 10 12 9 7 4 5 4 4
Base: All (904), West & Central (257), Barry (399), East (248)
9 in 10 residents agreed that they felt proud to live in the Vale. Older residents, aged 55+ also had a stronger feeling of pride in the area – 51% strongly agreeing that I am proud to live in the Vale of Glamorgan, compared with 36% among under 55s.
Again weight of feeling (i.e. those strongly agreeing) was also stronger among residents of West & Central Vale – 53% compared with 35% for Barry and 39% for East Vale.
Figure 31 Agreement with I am proud to live in the Vale: All & By Region
West & All Central Barry East
Strongly agree 35 41 39 53 Agree
%
Disagree 52 50 55 42
Strongly disagree 9 7 5 2 5 4 1
Base: All (904), West & Central (257), Barry (399), East (248)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 35
A feeling that the Vale had a unique identity was also felt more keenly in West & Central Vale. In this region 63% felt that this was the case compared with an average of 52% as shown in figure 32.
Figure 32
Whether feel Vale has a unique identity: All & By Region
West & All Central Barry East
46 Yes 52 49 63
%
32 33 37 No 25
22 15 12 13
Base: All (904), West & Central (257), Barry (399), East (248)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 36
6. Opinion of different elements of Council Service
6.1 Town Centres
6.1.1 Frequency of visiting
Respondents were asked how frequently they visit various town centres in the Vale of Glamorgan and findings are shown in figure 27. Barry (Holton Road) and Penarth were most likely to be visited on a weekly basis with 39% and 29% of residents doing so respectively.
Over half of residents in the Vale of Glamorgan did not visit Cowbridge or Llantwit major at all (55% and 60% respectively) as shown in figure 33.
Figure 33
Frequency of visiting Town Centres
Daily At least once a week At least once a month Less than once a month Not at all
Barry (Holton Road) 7 32 16 21 23
Barry (High Street) 2 19 19 26 33
Penarth 12 17 12 22 37
Cowbridge 4 6 9 26 55
Llantwit Major 3 11 6 19 60
Base: All (904)
Residents who had visited at least one of the town centres (referred to in figure 27) were asked which they had visited most often over the past year. The town centre most frequently visited was Barry (Holton Road), with over 2 in 5 residents saying they had visited the town most often. Penarth was also popular, with almost 3 in 10 residents visiting the town centre most often (28%) over the year. In contrast, a relatively small proportion of around 1 in 10 residents had visited Llantwit Major (12%), Barry (High Street/Broad Street) (10%), or Cowbridge (8%) most often in the past year.
6.1.2 Overall opinion of town centre visited most often
Overall opinion of Cowbridge and Llantwit Major was considerably in excess of other town centres within the Vale. Over 9 in 10 visitors to these town centres rated it as very
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 37
or fairly good (98% and 94% respectively). In contrast, opinion of Barry (Holton Road) and Barry (High St. / Broad St.) was mixed. Whilst a majority were positive, sizeable proportions (38% Barry Holton Road, 41% Barry High St. / Broad St.) believed these town centres to be fairly or very poor as shown in figure 34.
Figure 34
Overall rating of Town Centre
11 17 19 Very good
50 65 50 41 Fairly good
70
Fairly poor 44 29 32 33 Very poor 8 9 9 5 2 1 2 Barry (Holton Barry (High Penarth Llantwit Major Cowbridge Road) Street/Broad Street)
Base: Respondents who had visited a town in the past 12 months: 2014 (897)
Those who said the town centre they visit most often was ‘poor’ were then asked to identify reasons for this. Among the main reasons given was looks run down/shabby, choice of shops is poor and all charity shops/too many charity shops. Full results by town centre are shown in figure 35.
(It is worth noting that the bases were relatively small for Barry (High Street/Broad Street) and Penarth, and very low for Llantwit Major and Cowbridge. Therefore, number of respondents have been listed below each percentage).
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 38
Figure 35 Reasons for rating town centre as very or fairly poor (UNPROMPTED)
Barry (Holton Barry (High Street/ Cowbridge Llantwit aajor tenarth woad) Broad Street) Looks run down/shabby 43% 50% - - 34% 59 respondents 18 respondents 9 respondents
Choice of shops is 36% 39% - 71% 42% poor/needs more 49 respondents 14 respondents 4 respondents 11 variety respondents All charity shops/too 17% 9% - - 35% many charity shops 24 respondents 3 respondents 9 respondents
Cleanliness issues e.g. 11% 17% - - 18% dirty/dog /litter/rubbish 15 respondents 6 respondents 5 respondents
Lots of closed 13% 11% - - 8% down/boarded up shops 17 respondents 4 respondents 2 respondents Lack of quality/decent 8% 10% - 34% 13% shops 10 respondents 4 respondents 2 respondents 3 respondents Needs to be more 10% 7% - 17% 4% attractive/more plants 13 respondents 2 respondents 1 respondent 1 respondent and greenery
Base: All who rated their town centre as very or fairly poor (209) When asked to provide opinion of the attractiveness of the town centre they visited most often, findings were very much in line with overall opinion with Cowbridge and Llantwit Major being viewed most favourably and both town centres in Barry receiving more mixed opinion. Penarth, whilst less likely to be regarded as very good, also has few visitors who think it is poor – consequently it tends to be rated as fairly good.
Figure 36
Overall satisfaction with attractiveness of Town Centres
14 16 19
Very good
59 69 45 48 Fairly good
68
Fairly poor
28 30 35 31 Very poor 10 11 8 2 6 Barry (Holton Barry (High Penarth Llantwit Major Cowbridge Road) Street/Broad Street)
Base: Respondents who had visited a town in the past 12 months: 2014 (897)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 39
6.1.3 Opinion of different aspects of the town centre
Residents were asked to rate different aspects of the town centre they had visited most often in the past year. Those who visited Cowbridge most often rated the town highly with over 9 in 10 very or fairly satisfied across all aspects of the town centre. Llantwit Major and Penarth also rated highly across all aspects.
Amongst aspects that rated lower were presence of flowers and attractive greenery which rated particularly low in Barry (Holton Road) and Barry (High Street/Broad Street) with less than half satisfied (44% and 47% respectively). Range and choice of shops also rated lower, particularly in Barry (Holton Road) with less than half satisfied (44%) with this aspect of the town centre, reinforcing earlier findings on spontaneous reasons for dissatisfaction with town centres (figure 37).
Full findings can be found below:
Figure 37 Overall opinion of different elements of Town Centres - % satisfied: 2014
Barry Barry Cowbridge Llantwit aajor tenarth (Holton woad) (High Street/ Broad Street)
Clear signposting 87% 89% 96% 95% 85%
General cleanliness 72% 75% 99% 98% 89%
General up-keep and 70% 75% 98% 97% 83% maintenance
vuality and appearance 66% 57% 98% 95% 79% of street furniture (eg. bins and benches) Attractiveness of shop 60% 63% 100% 89% 79% fronts and associated advertisements
tresence of flowers and 44% 47% 97% 96% 87% attractive greenery
wange and choice of 44% 64% 92% 75% 69% shops Base: All who visit at least one town centre in last year(897) Residents were also asked to rate the accessibility of town centres for different forms of transport (figure 38). Access to bus services and access for pedestrians received the most favourable ratings with around 9 in 10 or more rating each town as fairly or very good in this respect. Access to trains was also rated similarly other than in Cowbridge (where there is no train station).
Access for cyclists drew a more mixed response - almost 9 in 10 (87%) thought access for cyclists was very or fairly good in Llantwit Major but this proportion dropped to 55% for Barry (High St / Broad Street).
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 40
Residents were most critical of availability of car parking in town centres particularly visitors to Penarth and Barry (High Street / Broad Street) when only 28% and 36% respectively rated car parking favourably. Llantwit Major was, again, viewed most favourably with 88% believing that availability of car parking was very or fairly good.
Figure 38 Overall opinion of different elements of Access in Town Centres - % very or fairly good
Barry (Holton Barry (High Cowbridge Llantwit aajor tenarth woad) Street/Broad Street)
Access to bus 96% 94% 80% 95% 95% services
9ase of access 93% 88% 91% 98% 94% for pedestrians
Access to train 76% 92% 4% 95% 91% services
Access for 62% 55% 68% 87% 75% cyclists
Availability of 59% 36% 59% 88% 28% car parking
Base: All who visit at least one town centre in last year(897)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 41
6.2 Leisure Centres
6.2.1 Usage Just over a third (35%) of residents had used a leisure centre in the last 12 months and this represents a sustained increase over time as shown in figure 39.
Figure 39
Used Leisure Centre in last 12 months: Trend
24 31 35
Yes
76 68 65
No
2009 2012 2014
Base: All respondents (2009 (1,000), 2012 (1,012), 2014 (904)
Barry (47%) and Penarth (38%) were the most frequently used leisure centres and as would expected, resident tend to use leisure centres close to where they live as shown in figure 40.
Figure 40
Leisure centre used most often
W&C Barry East
Barry Leisure Centre 48 21 89 7
Penarth Leisure Centre 33 5 6 92
Llantwit Major Leisure 9 38 - - Centre
Cowbridge Leisure 6 25 - - Centre
Holm View Leisure 2 1 5 - Centre (Barry)
Colcot Sports Centre 2 - - (Barry) Base: Respondents who currently use a leisure centre (All - 315, W&C - 73; Barry - 144; East - 99)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 42
6.2.2 Overall satisfaction
Although satisfaction with leisure centres was relatively high, with over 8 in 10 respondents ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ satisfied overall (83%), satisfaction with leisure centres had fallen, as shown in figure 41. There were now 17% of leisure centre users who were dissatisfied with service compared with only 6% in 2012.
Figure 41
Overall satisfaction with Leisure Centres : Trend
Very satisfied 49 44
74 Fairly satisfied
39 Fairly dissatisfied 45
25 14 Very dissatisfied 1 6 3 2009 2012 2014
Base: Respondents who used a leisure centre in the last 12 months (2009: 243; 2012 – 297, 2014: 295)
6.2.3 Satisfaction by different aspects of service Whilst a majority remained satisfied (very or fairly) with each aspect of service, there was general decline in satisfaction relative to 2012.
Services that rated most highly were access to premises, with over 9 in 10 people satisfied (92%). This was closely followed by information on activities (89%) although both had declined by 6 to 8 percentage points.
The most notable decreases in satisfaction, however, were in range of facilities available (decreased by 12 percentage points since 2012), building cleanliness and activities on offer (both decreased by 9 percentage points).
In contrast, ratings for pricing and parking have stabilised as shown in figure 42 below.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 43
Figure 42 Satisfaction with different elements of Leisure Centres - % satisfied: 2014
98 Access to premises 98 92
99 Information on activities 97 89
100 Activities on offer 95 2009 86 2012 100 Range of facilities available 94 2014 82
98 Pricing 86 84
Parking 82 79
93 Building cleanliness 81 72
Base: Respondents who currently use a leisure centre (2009: 243; 2012, 297; 2014, 314)
6.3 Highways Maintenance
6.3.1 Overall satisfaction
Overall satisfaction with highways maintenance services (figure 43) remains relatively high with just over three quarters stating they were fairly or very satisfied with the service provided (77%). However, this was lower than in 2012 when 86% were satisfied.
Interestingly, the number of those very satisfied with the services remains similar to 2012 (29% compared with 27% respectively). We see the largest decrease in those stating they were fairly satisfied with the service, with a 10% drop since 2012. The consequent increase in dissatisfaction means that approaching a quarter (23%) of Vale of Glamorgan residents were now unhappy with highways maintenance service.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 44
Figure 43
Overall satisfaction with Highways Maintenance: Trend
27 29 Very satisfied 50
Fairly satisfied
49 59
Fairly dissatisfied 45
17 10 Very dissatisfied 3 6 2 4 2009 2012 2014
Base: All respondents: 2009 (1,000), 2012 (1,012), 2014 (874)
6.3.2 Satisfaction by region
There were large differences in satisfaction across regions. The highest level of satisfaction was found in Barry with 4 in 5 respondents stating they were satisfied with highways maintenance services (including 41% who were very satisfied).
The lowest level of satisfaction was in East Vale. Whilst around 7 in 10 were satisfied, only 11% were very satisfied as shown in figure 44.
Figure 44
Overall satisfaction with Highways Maintenance: All & By Region
11 29 26 Very satisfied 41
60 Fairly satisfied
49 50
41 Fairly dissatisfied
22 17 20 11 Very dissatisfied
6 4 6 8 All West & Central Barry East
Base: All respondents (2014: 874; W&C: 246; Barry: 388; East: 240)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 45
6.3.3 Satisfaction by different aspects of service
Looking at satisfaction by different aspects of highways maintenance services (figure 45), levels, for the most part, remained fairly consistent with 2012. Services that rated most highly for satisfaction included: traffic signs and street signs (94%), road clearing following a traffic accident (92%) and street lighting (91%).
Gritting the roads, road maintenance and pavement maintenance all had a significant decrease in satisfaction between 2009 and 2012. Satisfaction with both gritting the roads and road maintenance has stabilised, remaining at a consistent level between 2012 and 2014. However, satisfaction with pavement maintenance has continued to decline, from over two thirds of residents satisfied in 2012 (68%) to half in 2014 (51%) and this is likely to be contributing to the drop in overall satisfaction with highways maintenance service that has been recorded.
Figure 45 Satisfaction with different elements of Highways Maintenance - % satisfied
99 95 Traffic signs and street signs 94
100 Road clearing following traffic 97 accidents 92 99 92 Street lighting 91
97 94 Traffic signals and pelican crossings 88 2009
96 2012 Gritting the roads 78 78 2014 81 68 Pavement maintenance 51
80 42 Road maintenance 41
Base: All respondents: 2009 (1,000), 2012 (1,012), 2014 (874) 6.4 Parks and grounds maintenance
6.4.1 Overall satisfaction
Overall satisfaction with parks and grounds maintenance services remained high with over 9 in 10 respondents satisfied with the service (92% including very and fairly satisfied). Almost half of those were very satisfied with the service (45%). This was consistent with the levels of satisfaction in 2012.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 46
Figure 46 Overall satisfaction with Parks and Grounds Maintenance: Trend
Very satisfied 45 45
68
Fairly satisfied
Fairly dissatisfied 50 47
31
Very dissatisfied 4 6 2 1 2 2009 2012 2014
Base: All respondents: 2009 (1,000), 2012 (1,012), 2014 (801)
6.4.2 Satisfaction by region
Satisfaction was consistently high across regions. Over 9 in 10 respondents were satisfied across all three regions (including very and fairly satisfied) with those living in Barry having most favourable opinions – 53% were very satisfied compared with 39% in West and Central and 40% in East Vale.
Figure 47 Overall satisfaction with Parks and Grounds Maintenance: All & By Region
Very satisfied 39 40 45 53
Fairly satisfied
51 Fairly dissatisfied 47 55 39
Very dissatisfied 6 8 6 4 2 2 2 2 All West & Central Barry East
Base: All respondents (2014: 801; W&C: 219; Barry: 355; East: 226)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 47
6.4.3 Satisfaction by different aspects of service
Satisfaction remained high across all aspects of parks and grounds maintenance, around 9 in 10 residents said they were satisfied with the service. However, in general, small decreases were seen relative to 2012 for most aspects.
One area (not asked previously) which was particularly praised was the cleanliness of country parks with 96% very or fairly satisfied with this.
Figure 48 Satisfaction with different elements of Parks and Grounds Maintenance - % satisfied
Cleanliness of Country Parks 96
98 Grass cutting in parks 95 92
98 Maintenance of flower beds 96 90 2009 99 Grass cutting on the roadside 95 2012 88 2014 99 Tree maintenance 94 87
96 Litter/cleanliness in parks 88 87 Base: All respondents: 2009 (1,000), 2012 (1,012), 2014 (904)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 48
6.5 Waste management and cleanliness of local area
6.5.1 Overall satisfaction
In 2009 and 2012 overall satisfaction for waste management and cleansing of local area was one question whereas these aspects were prompted separately in 2014. Findings are shown in figure 49 and follow as similar pattern to several other Council services – namely, the majority were satisfied but this majority has fallen since 2012.
Figure 49
Overall satisfaction with Waste Management/Cleanliness of Local Area: Trend
36 Very satisfied 42 38 59
Fairly satisfied
48 50 Fairly dissatisfied 51
37 Very dissatisfied 9 11 5 1 2 2 4 5 2009 2012 2014 2014 (waste management) (cleanliness) Base: All respondents: 2009 (1,000), 2012 (1,012), 2014 (874)
6.5.2 Satisfaction by region
Whilst Barry residents were the least satisfied with waste management overall (85%), East Vale residents had the lowest proportion of those very satisfied (26%), as shown in figure 50.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 49
Figure 50 Overall satisfaction with Waste Management: All & By Region 3
26 38 41 42 Very satisfied
Fairly satisfied
61 50 42 Fairly dissatisfied 51
Very dissatisfied 9 10 10 6 4 2 5 3 All West & Central Barry East
Base: All respondents: 2009 (1,000), 2012 (1,012), 2014 (874)
Overall satisfaction with cleansing of local area followed a similar pattern to waste management with dissatisfaction marginally higher in Barry, but East Vale less likely to rate this at the highest level.
Figure 51 Overall satisfaction with Cleanliness of Local Area: All & By Region
24 Very satisfied 36 41 39
Fairly satisfied
59 48 41 Fairly dissatisfied 50
12 Very dissatisfied 11 12 8 7 5 2 5 All West & Central Barry East
Base: All respondents: 2009 (1,000), 2012 (1,012), 2014 (874)
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 50
6.5.3 Satisfaction by different aspects of service
Kerbside recycling and bulky/special collections had the highest levels of satisfaction; with around 9 in 10 residents satisfied with these services (91% and 90% respectively including both very and fairly satisfied).
Between 2009 and 2012, the biggest fall in satisfaction was seen in street cleaning, and public toilets and these services remain the lowest in terms of satisfaction in 2014. However, whilst satisfaction with street cleaning appeared to have stabilised between 2012 and 2014, satisfaction with public toilets continued to decrease by 16 percentage points. Satisfaction with aspect has almost halved since 2009.
Figure 52
Overall satisfaction with different elements of Waste Management/Cleanliness of Local Area: % satisfied
96 Kerbside recycling 91 91 97 Bulky/special collections 93 90 98 Civic amenity sites 95 87 2009 97 Provision of recycling banks 94 84 2012 96 2014 Refuse collection 88 83 94 Street cleaning 79 78 94 Public toilets 73 57
Base: All respondents: 2009 (1,000), 2012 (1,012), 2014 (874)
6.5.4 Recycling
Just under half of residents (46%) recall receiving information from the Council on recycling with recall higher in East Vale (54%) and lower in Barry (39%).
Irrespective of whether information was received or not, residents appear comfortable with recycling with 92% claiming, at least, to be fully aware of what they need to do recycle their household waste. This proportion was consistent across different demographic groups.
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 51
7. Housing situation
7.1 Current tenure
A large proportion of residents owned their house (with or without a mortgage, part ownership), with over 3 in 5 residents saying this (62%). Around 1 in 7 residents were renting from a private landlord / letting agent (14%) with a further 9% renting from the Council, and 7% renting from a Housing Association.
7.2 Planning to move
Almost 9 in 10 residents said that their home currently met the requirements of themselves and their family (89%), with less than 1 in 5 saying they planned to move home in the next 3 years (18%).
Of those who planned to move, the main reasons given were related to:
. Wanting to own a property . Size of property – either smaller or larger / family home . Moving area – different or close to work /family & friends
Full findings are shown in figure 53.
Figure 53 Reasons for Moving Home in the next three years - % 2014
DK 1 Other 10 Because of age (i.e. retirement) 2 Financial circumstances 5 To be near family or friends 7 To improve lifestyle or quality of life 8 Because of work/to be closer to work 10 To live in a smaller property 14 To live in a different area 17 To move to a suitable family home 17 To live in a larger property 18 To buy or own protery 19
BMse: Respondents RMnting to move in tOe next 3 yeMrs: 2014 (160)
The majority of those intending to move stated they were likely to buy on the open market, with over half of residents planning to move choosing this option (55%). Renting
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 52
from the private sector was second most popular choice with over 1 in 5 residents suggesting they would do this (21%).
Fewer planned to rent from the Council (9%) or from a Housing Association (8%).
7.3 Future housing needs
Residents were asked whether their housing needs were fulfilled within the community in which they live. A large majority of almost 8 in 10 (77%) stated that ‘yes’, they were adequately housed and don’t intend to move. A further 14% stated that there were housing options available to meet their needs/aspirations of which they would be able to afford. A small minority (4%) said they felt that there was no suitable/affordable accommodation on offer in their community.
Figure 54
Future housing needs
Adequately housed already and don't intend to move 77
Housing options available to meet my future needs that I can afford 14
% No suitable affordable accommodation on offer in my 4 community
Don't know 6
Base: All (904) For those 4%, they were then asked if they intended to move out of the community in which they live. Almost 6 in 10 stated ‘yes’ (58%).
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 53
Appendix 1 - Survey Questionnaire
Vale of Glamorgan Residents Survey 2014 54
FOR OFFICE USE ONLY B01435
Vale of Glamorgan Public Opinion Survey
FINAL Questionnaire 2 Museum Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BG Interview Point Case No. no. No.(1-2)
READ OUT: Good morning/afternoon/ evening. My name is ……from Beaufort Research. We’re carrying out a survey on behalf of Vale of Glamorgan Council. The Council want to gain the views of residents about the services they receive from the Council. This is an extremely important survey as it gives a clear indication of where the Council is getting it right and where they need to improve.
It should take around 20-30 minutes, and all the answers you give will be kept completely confidential.
REASSURE AS NECESSARY: All answers treated in strictest confidence Beaufort is an independent market research company and we are not selling anything.
SHOW VALE OF GLAMORGAN LETTER TO RESPONDENT IF NECESSARY
INTERVIEWER READ OUT: Firstly, I need to ask a few question to ensure we speak to a cross-section of people
QA Do you, personally, work for any of the following employers? (7)
A private sector business 1 CONT. A charity 2 CONT. Vale of Glamorgan Council 3 CLOSE None of these 4 CONT. Do not work 5 CONT.
Q1 Which of the following age groups do you fall into? (8)
16-24 1 25-34 2 35-44 3 CHECK 45-54 4 QUOTAS 55-64 5 65-74 6 75+ 7
Q2. Record respondent gender (9)
Male 1 CHECK Female 2 QUOTAS
B01435 Vale of Glamorgan: Public Opinion Survey 2014 Page 1
Q3. Can you tell me the occupation of the chief income earner in your household? [The Chief Income Earner is the member of the household with the largest income, whether from employment, pensions, state benefit, investments or any other source]
NOTE: If retired ask for occupation before retirement
Actual Job ______
Position/grade ______(10)
CODE SOCIAL GRADE
A 1 B 2 C1 3 CHECK C2 4 QUOTAS D 5 E 6
Q4. We can conduct this interview in English or in Welsh - which would you prefer? (11)
English 1 Welsh 2
SET UP APPOINTMENT FOR CALL BACK WITH WELSH SPEAKING INTERVIEWER AS NECESSARY
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TRANSPORT IN THE VALE OF GLAMORGAN
ASK ALL
INTERVIEWER READ OUT: Firstly, we are going to talk about transport in the Vale of Glamorgan
SHOW CARD A Q5 How often do you use the following forms of transport?
Daily At least At least once At least Less than Not at all
once a a fortnight once a once a READ OUT…. week month month Car *1* *2* *3* *4* 5 6 (17) Bus *1* *2* *3* *4* 5 6 (18) Train *1* *2* *3* *4* 5 6 (19) Cycle *1* *2* *3* *4* 5 6 (20) Walking *1* *2* *3* *4* 5 6 (21) Community / Voluntary transport (e.g. *1* *2* *3* *4* 5 6 Greenlinks bus) (22)
SHOW CARD B Q6 When using ………[ask for each mode of transport used at least once a month or more (codes marked with *) at Q5] can you tell me your usual destinations? Bus Train Cycle Walking Community / Voluntary transport (e.g. Greenlinks bus) (23-26m) (27-30m) (31-34m) (35-38m) (39-42m) Barry 1 1 1 1 1 Bridgend 2 2 2 2 2 Cardiff 3 3 3 3 3 Cowbridge 4 4 4 4 4 Dinas Powys 5 5 5 5 5 Llantwit Major 6 6 6 6 6 Penarth 7 7 7 7 7 Talbot Green / Llantrisant 8 8 8 8 8 Other Rural Vale 9 9 9 9 9 Other______(Bus) A Other______(Train) B Other______(Cycle) C Other______(Walking) D Other______(Comm. Transp) E
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Q7 Are you aware of where to find information about alternative forms of transport in your local area? By alternative transport, I mean public transport or community / voluntary transport – essentially anything other than a car. (45)
Yes 1 No 2 Don’t know 3
SHOW CARD C Q8 Do you feel there are currently sufficient alternative transport options in your local area for your needs? (46)
Yes 1 No 2 Don’t have alternative transport needs 3 Don’t know 4
TOWN CENTRES
SHOW CARD D Q9 How often have you visited the following town centres in the Vale of Glamorgan in the past year ?
Daily At least At least Less than Not at all
once a once a once a READ OUT…. week month month Barry (Holton Road) 1 2 3 4 5 (47) Barry (High Street/Broad Street) 1 2 3 4 5 (48) Cowbridge 1 2 3 4 5 (49)
Llantwit Major 1 2 3 4 5 (50)
Penarth 1 2 3 4 5 (51)
ASK IF AT LEAST ONE TOWN CENTRE VISITED AT ALL AT Q9, OTHERS SKIP TO Q15 SHOW CARD D1 Q10 And which town centre have you visited most often in the past year ? (52) Barry (Holton Road) 1 Barry (High Street/Broad Street) 2 Cowbridge 3 Llantwit Major 4 Penarth 5
SHOW CARD E Q11 Thinking about ….[answer given at Q10], how would you rate the following aspects of this town centre?
Very Fairly good Fairly poor Very poor DK READ OUT…. good Availability of car parking 1 2 3 4 5 (53) 1 2 3 4 5 Access/ease of getting around for (54) pedestrians
Access to train services 1 2 3 4 5 (55) Access to bus services 1 2 3 4 5 (56) Access for cyclists 1 2 3 4 5 (57)
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SHOW CARD E (AGAIN) Q12 And still thinking about ….[insert answer at Q10], how would you rate these aspects of this town centre?
Very Fairly good Fairly poor Very poor DK READ OUT…. good
Range and choice of shops 1 2 3 4 5 (60) General cleanliness 1 2 3 4 5 (61)
General up-keep and maintenance 1 2 3 4 5 (62) Clear signposting 1 2 3 4 5 (63)
Presence of flowers and attractive 1 2 3 4 5 (64) greenery Quality and appearance of street 1 2 3 4 5 (65) furniture (eg. bins and benches)
Attractiveness of shop fronts and 1 2 3 4 5 (66) associated advertisements Overall attractiveness of the town 1 2 3 4 5 (67) centre
SHOW CARD E (AGAIN) Q13 Overall, how would you rate this town centre? (68)
Very good 1 Q15 Fairly good 2 Q15 Fairly poor 3 Q14 Very poor 4 Q14 DK 5 Q15
ASK IF ANSWER ‘FAIRLY POOR’ OR ’VERY POOR’ AT Q13 Q14 Why do you think it’s poor?
RECORD VERBATIM (69-72m)
______
______
______
Don't know N Refused O
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ENVIRONMENTAL & VISIBLE SERVICES
ASK ALL
INTERVIEWER READ OUT: We are now going to talk about some of the more visible services that the council provides (e.g. waste collection etc)
SHOW CARD F Q15 How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the following waste management and cleansing services?
ROTATE ORDER OF STATEMENTS Tick box to indicate start point
Tick READ OUT: Very Fairly Fairly Very Don’t
satisfied satisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied know A. Refuse collection 1 2 3 4 5 (80) B. Bulky / special collections 1 2 3 4 5 (81) C. Street cleaning / litter 1 2 3 4 5 (82) D. Kerbside recycling 1 2 3 4 5 (83) E. Provision of recycling banks 1 2 3 4 5 (84) F. Civic amenity sites (tips) 1 2 3 4 5 (85) G. Public toilets 1 2 3 4 5 (86) H. Overall satisfaction with Waste 1 2 3 4 5 (87) Management I. Overall satisfaction with 1 2 3 4 5 (88) cleanliness of your local area
Q16 In the past 12 months have you received any information from the Council on how to recycle?
(89)
Yes 1 No 2 Don’t know 3
SHOW CARD G Q17 Are you aware of how to recycle your household waste? Please take your answer from this card
(90)
Yes, I am fully aware 1 Yes, although I’d like some more information on some areas 2 No, I don’t know how to recycle my household waste 3
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SHOW CARD F (AGAIN) Q18 How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the following highways maintenance services? ROTATE ORDER OF STATEMENTS Tick box to indicate start point
Tick READ OUT: Very Fairly Fairly Very Don’t know
satisfied satisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied A. Road maintenance 1 2 3 4 5 (91) B. Pavement maintenance 1 2 3 4 5 (92) C. Traffic signals and Pelican 1 2 3 4 5 (93) crossings D. Traffic signs and street signs 1 2 3 4 5 (94) E. Road clearing following traffic 1 2 3 4 5 (95) accidents F. Gritting the roads 1 2 3 4 5 (96) G. Street lighting 1 2 3 4 5 (97) H. Overall satisfaction with 1 2 3 4 5 (98) Highways Maintenance
SHOW CARD F (AGAIN) Q19 How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the following parks and grounds maintenance services? ROTATE ORDER OF STATEMENTS Tick box to indicate start point
Tick READ OUT: Very Fairly Fairly Very Don’t
satisfied satisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied know A. Grass cutting in parks 1 2 3 4 5 (99) B. Maintenance of flower beds in 1 2 3 4 5 (100) parks C Litter / cleanliness in local parks 1 2 3 4 5 (101) and playing fields D. Cleanliness of Country Parks (e.g. Cosmeston and Porthkerry Country 1 2 3 4 5 (102) Parks) and open spaces (e.g. heritage coast) E. Grass cutting on the roadside 1 2 3 4 5 (103) F. Tree maintenance 1 2 3 4 5 (104) G. Overall satisfaction with Parks and 1 2 3 4 5 (105) Grounds Maintenance
LEISURES CENTRES
ASK ALL Q20 In the last 12 months have you accessed any of the leisure centres in the Vale of Glamorgan?
(106)
Yes 1 Q21 No 2 Q23 Don’t know 3 Q23
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ASK IF USED LEISURE CENTRE IN LAST 12 MONTHS (Q20 = YES) (112) SHOW CARD H Q21 Which local leisure centre do you use most often? Barry Leisure Centre 1 Colcot Sports Centre (Barry) 2 Holm View Leisure Centre (Barry) 3 Cowbridge Leisure Centre 4 Llantwit Major Leisure Centre 5 Jenner Park (Barry) 6 Penarth Leisure Centre 7 Other, please specify: 8 ______Don’t know N
ASK IF USE LEISURE CENTRE IN LAST 12 MONTHS (Q20 = YES)
SHOW CARD I Q22 How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the following aspects of …………..[answer at Q21] leisure centre? ROTATE ORDER OF STATEMENTS Tick box to indicate start point
READ OUT:
Tick Very Fairly Fairly Very Don’t know
satisfied satisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied A. Access to premises 1 2 3 4 5 (113) B. Information on available activities 1 2 3 4 5 (114) C Activities on offer 1 2 3 4 5 (115) D. Building cleanliness 1 2 3 4 5 (116) E. Range of facilities available 1 2 3 4 5 (117) F. Pricing 1 2 3 4 5 (118) G. Parking 1 2 3 4 5 (119) H. Leisure centre overall 1 2 3 4 5 (120)
ASK ALL
Q23 Are you aware that leisure centres in the Vale are no longer managed by the Vale of Glamorgan Council?
(121)
Yes 1 No 2 DK 3
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HOUSING
ASK ALL SHOW CARD J Q24 Does your household own or rent your home?
(130)
Own (with or without mortgage, part ownership) 1 Rent from Council 2 Rent from Housing Association 3 Rent from private landlord / letting agent 4 Living rent free 5
Q25 Does your current home meet the requirements of you and your family? (131)
Yes 1 No 2 DK 3
Q26 Do you plan to move home in the next three years? (132)
Yes 1 Q27 No 2 Q29 DK 3 Q29
ASK IF PLAN TO MOVE IN NEXT 3 YEARS (YES AT Q26)
SHOW CARD K Q27 Why would you like to move?
MULTICHOICE – CODE ALL THAT APPLY (133-136m)
To buy or own property 1 To move to a suitable family home 2 To live in a different area 3 Because of work or to be closer to work 4 To live in a smaller property 5 To live in a larger property 6 To improve lifestyle or quality of life 7 Because of age (i.e. retirement, older people's needs, supported housing) 8 To be near family of friends 9 Financial circumstances A Other, please specify B
______
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ASK IF PLAN TO MOVE IN NEXT 3 YEARS (YES AT Q26)
SHOW CARD L Q28 And which of these best describes how you think you will own or rent your future housing?
(137)
Buy on the open market 1 Buy through a shared ownership scheme 2 Self-build 3 Rent from Council 4 Rent from Housing Association 5 Rent from the private sector 6 Other, please specify 7
______ASK ALL SHOW CARD M Q29 Do you think that your housing needs can be fulfilled within the community in which you live? By community we mean the town or village where you live? (138)
Yes, I am adequately housed already and don't intend to move 1 Q30
Yes, there are housing options available to meet my future needs/ 2 Q30 aspirations that I will be able to afford
No, there is no suitable/affordable accommodation on offer in my community 3 Q29b
DK 4 Q30
ASK IF NO SUITABLE / AFFORDABLE ACCOMMODATION (AT Q29)
Q29b Do you intend to move out of the community in which you currently live in the future?
(139)
Yes 1 No 2 DK 3
INFLUENCING COUNCIL DECISIONS
ASK ALL SHOWCARD N Q30 How much do you think you know about what the Council does? (140)
A lot 1 Enough 2 Some, but not enough 3 Very little at all 4 DK 5
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SHOW CARD O Q31 If you wanted to influence a decision or decisions made by the Council which of the following would you do? (150-151m) MULTICHOICE – CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Contact my local Councillor 1 Contact a Council officer 2 Contact a local voluntary or community group 3 Contact another elected official (e.g. MP, AM, MEP) 4 Contact local press 5 Attend public/community meeting 6 Attend a Vale Council meeting 7 Attend a Town or Community Council meeting 8 Sign a petition 9
Would not attempt to influence a decision made by Council A Don’t know B
SHOW CARD P Q32 To what extent do you agree or disagree that you can influence decisions made by the council? (152)
Strongly agree 1 Agree 2 Disagree 3 Strongly disagree 4 Don’t know 5
YOUR VALE OF GLAMORGAN
ASK ALL Q33 Do you feel that the Vale of Glamorgan has a unique identity? (153)
Yes 1 No 2 DK 3
SHOW CARD Q Q34 Which of these best describes the extent to which you identify yourself as a Vale resident?
(154)
I feel a strong connection to the Vale or a particular part of the Vale 1 I see myself primarily as a Vale resident 2 I see myself primarily as part of a larger community beyond just the Vale 3 I do not feel any connection to the Vale 4 Don’t know 5
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SHOW CARD R Q35 To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: ‘I am proud to live in the Vale of Glamorgan’? (155)
Strongly agree 1 Agree 2 Disagree 3 Strongly disagree 4 Don’t know 5
SHOW CARD S Q36 How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the overall service provided by the Vale of Glamorgan Council? (156)
Very satisfied 1 Q38 Fairly satisfied 2 Q38 Fairly dissatisfied *3* Q37 Very dissatisfied *4* Q37 Don’t know 5 Q38
ASK IF DISSATIFIED WITH OVERALL SERVICE (Q36 = VERY DISSATISFIED OR FAIRLY DISSATISFIED) Q37 Why do you say you are dissatisfied?
RECORD VERBATIM (157-160m)
______
______
______
Don't know N Refused O
ACCESSING COUNCIL SERVICES ONLINE
ASK ALL
Q38 Do you currently use the Internet? (161)
Yes 1 Q39 No 2 Q47
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ASK IF USE INTERNET AT ALL (Q38 = YES)
SHOW CARD T Q39 Where do you currently use the Internet? (170-171m) MULTICHOICE – CODE ALL THAT APPLY At home 1 At work 2 At someone else’s home (e.g. friend or relative) 3 Using your mobile phone / tablet 4 At a place of learning (e.g. school, college, university) 5 At an Internet café 6 At a library 7 Other 8
ASK IF USE INTERNET AT ALL (Q38 = YES)
Q40 Have you used the Council’s website www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk or www.bromorgannwg.gov.uk in the last 12 months? (172m) MULTICHOICE – CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Yes - www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk 1 Q41 Yes - www.bromorgannwg.gov.uk 2 Q41 No 3 Q45 Don’t know 4 Q45
ASK IF USE COUNCIL WEBSITE (Q40 = YES, CODE 1 OR 2)
SHOW CARD U Q41 How often do you access the Council’s website? (173)
Daily 1 At least once a week 2 At least once a month 3 Less often than once a month 4 Don’t know 5
ASK IF USE COUNCIL WEBSITE (Q40 = YES, CODE 1 OR 2) Q42 As well as offering information on Council services, are you aware that the Council website allows you to do each of the following?
No – not READ OUT: Yes - aware aware A. Pay council bills or fees 1 2 (174) B. Arrange a waste collection 1 2 (175) C. Make a complaint 1 2 (176) D. View planning applications 1 2 (177) E. Apply for a job 1 2 (178) F. Make licensing applications 1 2 (179) G. Make registrars applications 1 2 (180)
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ASK IF USE COUNCIL WEBSITE (Q40 = YES, CODE 1 OR 2) SHOW CARD V Q43 Have you used the Council’s website to do any of things on this card in the last 12 months? MULTICHOICE – CODE ALL THAT APPLY (190-191m)
Make a payment 1 Apply for service 2 Book an appointment 3 Search for information 4 Ask for further information 5
None of these 6 Don’t know 7
ASK IF USE COUNCIL WEBSITE FOR ANY OF ABOVE (Q43 = CODES 1 TO 5) Q44 And why did you use the website to do these things rather than using other ways?
RECORD VERBATIM (192-195m)
______
______
______
Don't know N Refused O
ASK IF USE INTERNET AT ALL (Q38 = YES) SHOW CARD W Q45 How confident do you think you would be accessing basic services online such as requesting a new bin?
(196)
Very confident 1 Q47 Fairly confident 2 Q47 Not very confident *3* Q46 Not at all confident *4* Q46
Don’t know 5 Q47
ASK IF NOT VERY OR NOT AT ALL CONFIDENT AT Q45 Q46 Why do you say that?
RECORD VERBATIM (197-200m)
______
______
______
Don't know N Refused O
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ASK ALL
READ OUT: The Council is trying to encourage more residents to use online services so that it can continue to provide quality services at lower cost and use savings to continue to provide services in other areas.
SHOW CARD X Q47 Which of these would encourage you to access more of the services that you use online? MULTICHOICE – CODE ALL THAT APPLY (205-208m)
Already access services online where possible 1 More information about what is available online 2 More guidance on how to access services online 3 More public internet access points 4 Other, please specify 5 ______
Nothing would encourage me M Don’t know N
Q48 Do you feel that the Council is doing enough to encourage residents to access services online? (209)
Yes 1 No 2 Don’t know 3
Q49 Why do you say that?
RECORD VERBATIM (210-213m)
______
______
______
Don't know N Refused O
ASK IF USE INTERNET AT ALL (Q38 = YES). OTHERS GO TO Q51 SHOW CARD Y Q50 Thinking more broadly about the internet, not just the Council’s services, have you done any on the following online in the last 12 months? MULTICHOICE – CODE ALL THAT APPLY (214-215m) Online banking 1 Online shopping 2 Made online application for a service or product 3 Booked a ticket for travel or an event online 4 Accessed online news services 5
None of these 6 Don’t know 7
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CONTACTING THE COUNCIL
ASK ALL
Q51 Have you contacted the Vale of Glamorgan Council at all in the last 12 months? (216)
Yes 1 Q52 No 2 Q53 Don’t know 3 Q53
ASK IF CONTACTED COUNCIL (Q51 = YES)
SHOWCARD Z Q52 Which of these methods did you use to contact the Council? (217-220m) MULTICHOICE – CODE ALL THAT APPLY
In person 1 Telephone 2 Letter 3 Email 4 Using Social Media – e.g. facebook, twitter 5 Via the Internet / website 6 Via a Councillor 7 Via a Member of Parliament or Assembly Member 8 Through a friend 9 During a visit from a Council officer A Other, please specify ______B Don’t know N
ASK ALL SHOWCARD AA Q53 Which of these methods do you think is the most convenient way for contacting the Council when……
Phone In person Website or Via social READ OUT…. email media A. You want to access information about the Council 1 2 3 4 (221) B. You want to access a basic service – e.g. make an 1 2 3 4 (222) appointment C. When you want to report an incident or problem – e.g. a missed 1 2 3 4 (223) rubbish collection
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ABOUT THE COUNCIL
ASK ALL
SHOWCARD BB Q54 In the last 12 months have you received or accessed information about Vale of Glamorgan Council in any of these ways? MULTICHOICE – CODE ALL THAT APPLY (230-233m)
Council e-newsletter *1* Council website *2* Letters/ Leaflets through the post *3* Leaflets with bin bags *4* On local notice boards (community centre, library etc.) *5* Local papers 6 Local television/ Radio 7 Social Media – e.g. facebook, twitter 8 Word of mouth 9 In person at Council offices *A* Through your local Councillor *B* Public meetings *C* Other, please specify ______D Don’t know N
SHOW CARD CC ASK IF CODES MARKED WITH * CODED AT Q54 Q55 How satisfied are you with the information you receive directly from the Vale of Glamorgan Council?
(234)
Very satisfied 1 Q57 Fairly satisfied 2 Q57 Fairly dissatisfied *3* Q56 Very dissatisfied *4* Q56 Don’t know 5 Q57
ASK IF DISSATIFIED (VERY DISSATISFIED OR FAIRLY DISSATISFIED) AT Q55 Q56 Why do you say you are dissatisfied?
RECORD VERBATIM (235-238m)
______
______
______
Don't know N Refused O
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ASK ALL SHOWCARD DD Q57 From which of these local media sources do you usually get information or news about the Vale of Glamorgan Council? (239-242m)
Papers Western Mail 1 South Wales Echo 2 Glamorgan Gem 3 Penarth Times 4 Barry and District News 5
Websites Wales Online 6 Glamorgan Gem website 7 Penarth Times website 8 Barry and District News 9 BBC online website A
TV BBC Wales B ITV Wales C S4C D
Social media E
Bro Radio F
Any Other, please specify: G ______Don’t know N
(243-246m)
SHOW CARD EE Q58 How often if at all do you listen to Bro Radio (the Barry Community Radio Station)? (247)
Daily 1 At least once a week 2 Rarely 3 Not at all 4
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YOUR COUNCIL
SHOW CARD FF1
ASK ALL Q59 Please take a look at this card [SHOW CARD FF1]. Before today were you aware that the Council needed to find this level of savings? SHOW CARD FF 2 (255)
Yes, fully aware 1 Yes, aware but not of the full extent 2 No, I didn’t know the Council faced this issue 3
SHOW CARD GG Q60 Please take a look at this card [SHOW CARD GG]. As a resident, would you be happy or not for some services that are currently delivered by the council to be delivered by other organisations? (256)
Yes 1 No 2 Don’t know 3
ASK IF YES AT Q60 Q61 Which services do you think could or should be delivered by other organisations?
RECORD VERBATIM (257-260m)
______
______
______
Don't know N Refused O
READ OUT: The Council cannot address its budget shortfall by savings alone. They will need to raise additional income too. ASK ALL SHOW CARD HH Q62 Which of these would be your first choice for the Council to do to generate income?
REPEAT ASKING FOR 2nd, 3rd and 4th choice
1st choice 2nd choice 3rd choice 4th choice
A. Increase Council Tax to Welsh average 1 2 3 4 (261)
B. Develop new services that would generate revenue 1 2 3 4 (262)
C. Charge for some services that are currently free 1 2 3 4 (263) D. Increase charges for services that people pay for 1 2 3 4 already (264)
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Q63 Which, if any, services do you think would be most appropriate for introducing or increasing charges?
RECORD VERBATIM (265-268m)
______
______
______
Don’t think any services should be charged for M Don't know N Refused O
VOLUNTEERING
ASK ALL Q64 Do you currently undertake any voluntary or community work in either a formal or informal capacity?
(269)
Yes 1 No 2 Don’t know 3
Q65 If offered the opportunity would you consider volunteering in order to support a community service in your area? (270)
Yes 1 No 2 Don’t know 3
NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: Please reassure respondent this is not a recruitment drive and they will not be contacted about volunteering as a result of their answer here. The question aims to give the Council an idea of what proportion of the VoG residents would be interested in volunteering.
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Finally a few questions about you…..
ASK ALL
SHOWCARD II Q66 Which of these best describes your ethnic group? (271)
A. White Welsh / English / Scottish / Northern Irish / British 1 Irish 2 Gypsy or Irish Traveller 3 Any other White background, write in; 4 ______
B. Mixed / multiple ethnic groups White and Black Caribbean 5 White and Black African 6 White and Asian 7 Any other Mixed / multiple ethnic background: 8 ______
C. Asian / Asian British Indian 9 Pakistani A Bangladeshi B Chinese C Any other Asian background: D ______
D. Black / African / Caribbean / Black British African E Caribbean F Any other Black / African / Caribbean background: G ______
E. Other ethnic group Arab H Any other ethnic group, write in: I ______
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ASK ALL SHOW CARD JJ Q67 How would you describe your working status? (279)
In full time paid work as an employee (30+ hours) 1 In part time paid work as an employee (16 - 30 hours) 2 In part time paid work as an employee (less than 16 hours per week) 3 Doing paid work on a self-employed basis or within your own business 4 On a government training programme (National Traineeship/Modern Apprenticeship) 5 Temporarily away from a paid job or business 6 Claiming unemployment benefit (includes Unemployment Benefit, Income Support, National Insurance 7 Credits, Job Seekers Allowance) Out of work and not claiming benefit but have actively looked for work in the past 4 weeks 8 Out of work and not claiming benefit, not looking for work, but would take work if it were available 9 Looking after the home or family or caring for a sick/elderly relative, but would like to work A Unpaid worker for a business, community or voluntary organisation B Long term sick C Retired D Full time student at a Further Education College, Sixth Form or University E Other, please specify F
Respondent name: ______
Address: ______
(280) (281) (282) (283) (284) (285) (286) Postcode:
Telephone Number: ______
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME: PROVIDE THANK-YOU LEAFLET
Interviewer Declaration: I declare that I have conducted this interview face to face with the above named person (who is unknown to me) according to your instructions (287-288) (289-290) (291-292)
Signature:______Date of interview: ______/______/ ______
(293) (294) (295) (296) WRITE IN YOUR INTERVIEWER NUMBER
B01435 F.O.U. (BACK CHECKS) Accompanied: Yes 1 Supervisor signature: No 2 ______
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