Local Government Review in the Fylde Borough Council Area, Lancashire

Home , Allerdale, Bacup, Eden District, Freckleton, Lytham St Annes, The Fylde

Additional Research

Research Study Conducted by MORI for The Boundary Committee for England

April 2004

Contents

Page Introduction 5

Executive Summary 11

1. Attitudes to Local Governance 13

2. Attitudes to Issues under Review 19

3. Preferred Patterns of Local Government 23

Option A 31

Option B 35

Option C 39

4. Preferred New Council Name 43

5. Community Identity 45

APPENDICES 1. Option Showcards 2. Research Methodology 3. Definitions of Social Grade and Area 4. Marked-up Questionnaires Fylde borough West Fylde area East Fylde area

Introduction

This report presents the findings of research conducted by the MORI Social Research Institute on behalf of The Boundary Committee for England in the Fylde Borough Council area. The aim of the research was to establish residents’ views about alternative patterns of unitary local government. Background to the Research In May 2003, the Government announced that a referendum would take place in autumn 2004 in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber regions on whether there should be elected regional assemblies. The Government indicated that, where a regional assembly is set up, the current two-tier structure of local government - district, borough or city councils (called in this report ‘districts’) and county councils - should be replaced by a single tier of ‘unitary’ local authorities.

In June 2003, the Government directed The Boundary Committee for England (‘the Committee’) to undertake an independent review of local government in two-tier areas in the three regions, with a view to recommending possible unitary structures to be put before affected local people in a referendum at a later date.

MORI was commissioned by COI Communications, on behalf of the Committee, to help it gauge local opinion. The research was in two stages. First, in summer 2003, MORI researched local residents’ views about local government and how they identify with their local community. These findings can be found at the Committee’s web site (www.boundarycommittee.org.uk) and MORI’s web site (www.mori.com). The findings were taken into account by the Committee in formulating its draft recommendations for consultation. The second part of the research, which took place in Stage Three of the Committee’s review, has been primarily concerned with residents’ reactions to the Committee’s preliminary proposals and the reasons for local people’s preferences. It is with the second part of the research that this report is concerned.

Coverage of Main Research MORI undertook research in all 44 two-tier districts in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber regions. Within each district, at least 300 face-to-face interviews were carried out in-home, between 1 December 2003 and 23 February 2004. A total of 13,676 interviews took place across the three regions.

5 Additional Interviews In addition to the main research described above, the Committee also asked MORI to undertake further research where it considered it needed further evidence. This related to its reviews in Cheshire, Lancashire and North Yorkshire. First, in districts which the Committee identified may be split in the event of local government reorganisation, it asked MORI to interview additional respondents in order to gauge in more detail their views about options which would directly affect them. The districts were Selby (North Yorkshire), Crewe & Nantwich and Vale Royal (Cheshire), and Fylde, Rossendale, West Lancashire and Wyre (Lancashire). A total of some 2,000 additional interviews took place across these areas. This report is concerned with the surveys of residents in Fylde Borough Council area, Lancashire, and covers both the main research and the additional interviews. Further details of the approach taken in Fylde are set out later in this introduction.

In addition, MORI was asked to interview a representative sample of some 300 residents in each of four single-tier councils adjacent to review areas – Sefton, Wigan, Wirral and York.

Style Protocols in this Report We have adopted a number of protocols throughout this report:

• ‘Fylde’ refers to the Borough Council area of that name.

• Two-tier borough, city or district council areas are referred to as ‘districts’.

• The Boundary Committee for England is referred to as ‘the Committee’.

• CC refers to ‘County Council’, BC to ‘Borough Council’, MBC to ‘Metropolitan Borough Council’ and DC to ‘District Council’.

• An asterisk in a table or chart refers to a percentage between zero and 0.5.

• Definitions of ‘social grade’, and ‘urban’ and ‘rural’ areas, are provided in Appendix 3.

• ‘Review’ refers to the Committee’s review of local government.

• Some figures in charts and tables, and in the marked-up questionnaires at Appendix 2, may not add up to 100%. Occasionally figures may also vary by 1%. In both cases, this is due to rounding. The definitive figures may be found in the computer tabulations provided under separate cover.

• Base sizes have been given throughout this report. Where the base is under 50, considerable caution should be applied when making any inferences.

6 The Lancashire County Council Area

7 This Report This report presents MORI’s findings in the Fylde Borough Council area, Lancashire (in the North West region). The Fylde research had two components, each of which took place in-home, face to face, between 1 December 2003 and 23 February 2004.

First, as part of the main research, 300 interviews took place across the borough. Second, MORI undertook additional interviews in order to ensure that approaching 300 interviews took place on each side of the boundary which would split the borough under two of the Committee’s preliminary proposals (Options B and C). We have called these areas East Fylde (see Footnote 1) and West Fylde (see Footnote 2).

As part of our main research, MORI interviewed 67 residents in East Fylde and 205 residents in West Fylde. In our separate, additional research, we interviewed 209 residents and 86 residents respectively. The total interviewed in East Fylde was therefore 276 and in West Fylde 291.

In this report we have often reported separately on the data from Fylde as a whole, East Fylde and West Fylde. When interpreting the data it is important to bear in mind three issues:

• First, the additional interviews were organised as a separate survey from the main survey;

• Second, the size of population (and therefore the number of interviews) in each sub-borough area will affect the impact which these views have on borough-wide data; and

• Third, the two sub-borough areas do not have identical demographic profiles. Essentially, West Fylde data is likely to have a proportionally greater impact than East Fylde on Fylde-wide data, all other things being equal. Of course, in the real world, other things are not equal. The demographic profiles of the two sub-borough areas are different. It is also necessary to take into account statistical tolerances. These are typically around +5% for samples of 300 residents.

In each case, quotas were set by age, gender and work status using 2001 Census data. Data have been weighted back to the known demographic profile of each district by age, gender and work status. The methodology applied in this research, along with showcards showing the options put forward for consultation and three marked-up questionnaires for Fylde Borough Council area (main research), the East Fylde area (main research plus additional interviews) and West Fylde area (main research plus additional interviews), are set out in the appendices to this report.

Full computer tabulations have been provided separately. County-wide reports for each county under review, and summary reports for each district, have also been provided under separate cover.

¹ The Borough Council wards of Ashurst, Bickerstaffe, Birch Green, Digmoor, Moorside, Newburgh, Parbold, Skelmersdale North, Skelmersdale South, Tanhouse, Upholland, and Wrightington. ² The Borough Council wards of Aughton Park, Aughton & Downholland, Burscough East, Burscough West,Derby, Halsall, Hesketh-with-Becconsall, Knowsley,North Meols, Rufford, Scarisbrick, Scott, and Tarleton. 8 Publication of the Data As part of our standard terms and conditions, the publication of the data in this report is subject to the advance approval of MORI. This would only be refused on the grounds of inaccuracy or misinterpretation of the findings.

MORI Contact Details Simon Atkinson, Research Director Renuka Engineer, Senior Research Executive Emma Holloway, Senior Research Executive Paul Samuels, Research Executive Neil Wholey, Senior Research Executive

79-81 Borough Road London SE1 1FY Tel: 020 7347 3000 Fax: 020 7347 3800 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.mori.com © MORI/20362

Executive Summary Considering Boundary Changes • As in Lancashire generally, the most important issues which Fylde residents think should be taken into account when deciding how council boundaries should be changed are the quality of services and responding to local people’s wishes. Other important factors are the need for accountability to local people and the cost of services. These four factors are also the most important in both East Fylde and West Fylde. The Options • Respondents were briefed during the interview about the review of local government and shown cards setting out the main patterns of unitary local government on which the Committee consulted (Appendix 1). The options are:

- Option A: a unitary council based upon the majority of the County Council area, with part of Rossendale combined with Rochdale and part of Wyre combined with Blackpool;

- Option B: seven unitary councils (see p.23 for details);

- Option C: eight unitary councils (see p.23 for details). Most Preferred Option

• There are some key differences between Fylde residents’ views on alternative patterns of unitary local government and those held in most of the rest of county. Overall, views in Lancashire on the Committee’s options are balanced: across the county, Options A, B and C are preferred by roughly one in five residents. One in seven state, unprompted, that they would prefer no change, while 4% state some other (unprompted) option.

• Across the borough area as a whole, Options A is marginally more preferred than Option B (each by around one in five residents). However, Option C is preferred by fewer than one in twelve. A higher proportion of residents in Fylde than in Lancashire generally, one in five, state an unprompted preference for no change. Only 2% of Fylde residents state a preference for some other (unprompted) option, a similar proportion to Lancashire as a whole.

• Option A is clearly the most preferred option in East Fylde (by just over a quarter of residents) and to a lesser extent in West Fylde (one in five residents).

• The main reason for preferring Option A is the view that it would be more efficient or provide better value for money. Residents’ main reason for liking Options B and C is their preference for a small council area.

• In Fylde overall and the two sub-borough areas, residents are more likely to state a preference for no change (a fifth in each case, compared with one in seven in the county as a whole).

11 Least Preferred Option • In contrast to the balance of views evident about residents’ most preferred option, there is a more consistent picture in Lancashire about residents’ least preferred option. Option A is the least preferred option in the county as a whole (by 36%) and in each of the twelve districts (with the exception of West Lancashire), including Fylde. Option C is the next least preferred option in all districts excluding Pendle. A very similar picture is found in both the East and West Fylde areas with Option A being least preferred (28% and 32% respectively). Knowledge of Local Government

• Most Fylde residents do not claim to know much about local government. In Fylde as a whole, around a third claim to know a great deal or fair amount about local councils and the services they provide – broadly in line with the county as a whole. But knowledge is higher in East Fylde (just over two in five know a great deal or fair amount) and West Fylde (just under two in five). Knowledge of the Review • Around one in seven residents in Fylde claim to know much (i.e. a great deal or fair amount) about the Committee’s review of local government – a similar proportion as in the county generally. Fewer residents have heard of the review in East Fylde, while slightly more have heard of it in West Fylde. In both East and West Fylde, however, two fifths of residents had not heard of the review. In the borough as a whole, the main sources of knowledge about the Committee’s review of local government, for those who had heard of it, are local and national newspapers (mentioned by 57%), TV, radio and other media (27%) and leaflets, whether produced by local authorities, the Committee or others (10%). A similar pattern is also found in East Fylde and West Fylde. Expressing a View • Most residents are prepared to express a view on their preferred pattern of local government, although this is less evident in Lancashire than in other counties under review. In the county generally, fewer than one in four say they do not know which is their most preferred option. In Fylde as a whole and in West Fylde, however, this increases to just under a third who say they don’t know, while less than a fifth of residents say they do not know in East Fylde.

12 1. Attitudes to Local Governance Knowledge of Local Government The main purpose of MORI’s survey was to establish residents’ reactions to the Committee’s preliminary proposals for patterns of unitary local government. However, in order to understand residents’ views, a range of contextual questions were also asked – concerned with residents’ knowledge and understanding of local governance and their attitudes towards it. This context is important in its own right. But it is also important to understand whether, and how, residents’ views on the Committee’s preliminary proposals vary in the light of their knowledge and attitudes.

• Knowledge of local councils and the services they provide is low in all the counties MORI surveyed as part of this research. In Fylde, only 2% claim to know a great deal about local government, while fewer than a third claim to know a great deal or fair amount (31%). Two thirds say they know not very much or nothing at all (66%). This in broadly in line with findings in Lancashire as a whole.

• Knowledge about local government is a little higher in West Fylde (where 38% claim to know a great deal or fair amount), and East Fylde (42%), than in the rest of the district.

• There are wide variations by demographic groups. Generally speaking, the higher the social grade, and the older the resident, the greater is likely to be their knowledge about local councils. Those who are involved in the community are also likely to know more about local councils. Across Fylde as a whole, 55% of these who feel involved with their community (a great deal or a fair amount) claim to know a great deal or fair amount about local councils, compared with 25% of those who do not feel so involved.

Knowledge of Local Government

Q7 How much would you say you know about local councils and the services they provide?

A great deal A fair amount Not very much Nothing at all Don't know

Fylde borough East Fylde West Fylde 1% 5% 11% 2% 8% 12% 5%

31% 33% 37%

50% 50% 55%

13 Attitudes to Local Area MORI consistently finds in its research that residents’ attitudes to where they live relate to a range of perceptions about local governance such as satisfaction with local councils and the services they provide.

• In Fylde, residents are generally highly satisfied with their local area as a place to live. Around nine in ten are very or fairly satisfied (86%) compared with just 6% who are dissatisfied. This is in line with other Lancashire districts (the average for the county is 85%). There is a difference, however when we look at the proportion who are very satisfied: in Fylde this is higher (52%) than the average for the county as a whole (45%).

• Satisfaction is higher in East Fylde than in the rest of the borough (91% being fairly or very satisfied).

• Residents’ attitudes can be linked to their age and social grade. In Fylde older people (aged 55+) are more likely to feel very satisfied with their area than younger people (aged 18-34) - 52% compared with 40%; and 65% of those in social grades AB are very satisfied compared with 47% of social grades DE.

• Those who have a strong sense of belonging to their borough council area, county council area or the county area of Lancashire, and those who are satisfied with the services local councils provide, are also more likely to be satisfied with their local area – a pattern which applies in East Fylde and West Fylde, as well as to the borough as a whole.

Satisfaction with Local Area

Q4 How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with this local area as a place to live?

Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Neither/nor Fairly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Don't know

Fylde borough East Fylde West Fylde 1% 1% 2%2% 2% 5% 5% 4% 7% 7%

51% 53% 40% 54% 32% 32%

14 Involvement in the Community

Generally, most residents do not feel very involved in their local community.

• Around a third of Fylde residents feel involved a great deal or fair amount in their local community (36% in East Fylde and 33% in West Fylde), compared to around two thirds who feel not very involved or not at all involved. Around a quarter of residents do not feel at all involved (21% and 28% respectively). This is broadly in line with findings in Lancashire as a whole where approaching a third of residents (30%) feel very or fairly involved.

• Again, this relates to age and social grade, as on the previous issues, as well as to residents’ sense of belonging to their district council area, county council area and the county of Lancashire, and to their length of residence in the area. There is also a relationship with the type of area in which Fylde residents live: those in a rural area are more likely to feel involved with their community compared with those living in an urban area.

• There is a more marked distinction between those who feel ‘not at all’ involved – 21% in East Fylde compared with 28% in West Fylde. The general patterns relating to residents’ age, social grade, sense of belonging and to length of residence in the area pertain to both East Fylde and West Fylde.

Involvement in the Community

Q5 Overall, how involved do you feel in your local community?

A great deal A fair amount Not very much Nothing at all Don't know Fylde borough East Fylde West Fylde *% 1% 6% 8% 10% 21% 28% 33% 19% 28% 23%

43% 41% 39%

Base: Fylde: 300 residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 - 23 February 2004 Base: East Fylde: 276 residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 - 23 February 2004 Base: West Fylde: 291 residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 - 23 February 2004 Note: the Methodology appended to this report includes an explanation of statistical reliability. Data from East Wyre and West Wyre are unlikely always to match that found in the borough as a whole, although broad patterns should be in line. This is because of population differentials and statistical tolerances explained in the Introduction and the Methodology.

15 Residents’ Sense of Belonging Previous research has shown that there is usually a hierarchy in residents’ sense of belonging to various geographical areas (cf. MORI’s community research for the Boundary Committee for England, October 2003). Attachment is generally highest with the most local areas (village or neighbourhood), and progressively lower with district council area and then county council area.

• Such a hierarchy is also found in Lancashire: in the county as a whole, 60% of residents feel they belong very or fairly strongly to their district council area, compared to 51% to their county council area.

• This hierarchy is maintained in Fylde: 60% of residents feel they belong very or fairly strongly to their district council area compared to 54% to their county council area.

• As MORI usually finds, there is a greater attachment to the ‘county area’ than to the ‘county council area’. In Lancashire as a whole, 74% of residents feel strongly attached to the county of Lancashire (compared to 51% to the county council area). This hierarchy is maintained for Fylde, although the sense of belonging is slightly lower than in the county generally: 72% of Fylde residents feel very or fairly strongly attached to the county of Lancashire.

• Generally, the level of attachment is similar in West Fylde and East Fylde: 62% and 60% respectively feel a strong sense of belonging to the borough council area; and 51% and 49% respectively to the county council area. Attachment to the county of Lancashire is somewhat higher than in the borough as a whole, at 77% in West Fylde and 78% in East Fylde.

Sense of Belonging – Fylde borough

Q9/10 How strongly do you feel you belong to each of the following areas? Very strongly Fairly strongly Not very strongly Not at all strongly No opinion/Don't know

Fylde BC area Lancashire CC area County of Lancashire

4% 5% 2% 8% 9% 19% 12% 20%

18% 41%

28% 29% 34% 41% 31%

Base: Fylde - all: 300 residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 – 23 February 2004

16 Sense of Belonging – East Fylde

Q9/10 How strongly do you feel you belong to each of the following areas?

Very strongly Fairly strongly Not very strongly Not at all strongly No opinion/Don't know

Fylde BC area Lancashire CC area County of Lancashire

6% 7% 6% 1% 8% 18% 19% 12% 15%

46% 26%

31% 30% 42% 32%

Base: East Fylde: 276 residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 – 23 February 2004

Sense of Belonging – West Fylde

Q9/10 How strongly do you feel you belong to each of the following areas? Very strongly Fairly strongly Not very strongly Not at all strongly No opinion/Don't know

Fylde BC area Lancashire CC area County of Lancashire

6% 8% 5%3% 7% 22% 18% 12% 15% 39%

25%

30% 33%

40% 38%

Base: West Fylde: 291 residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 – 23 February 2004

2. Attitudes to Issues under Review Knowledge of Local Government Review Relatively few residents in Lancashire claim to know more than a little about the Committee’s review of local government – just 14% overall claim that they knew a great deal or fair amount before their MORI interview, and with the exception of West Lancashire and Burnley (27% and 4% respectively), there is relatively little variation between districts.

• A similar proportion in Fylde as in Lancashire generally (15%) claims that they knew much (a great deal or fair amount) about the review before MORI’s interview. But fewer residents knew much about the review in East Fylde (12%) than West Fylde (18%).

• There are some significant variations between demographic groups. Across the county, those in the higher social grades are much more likely to know about the review: 23% of those in social grades AB know a great deal or fair amount compared with just 8% of those in social grades DE. Older people are also more likely to know of the review: 19% of those aged 55+ claim to know a great deal or fair amount compared with 7% of 18-34 year olds.

• Those who claim to know about local councils and the services they provide are more likely to know about the review (27% of those who know a great deal or fair amount about local councils also claim to know a great deal or fair amount about the review). Those who have lived in the area longer (six years or more) feel more informed about the review – 15% claim to know a great deal or fair amount compared with 10% of those who have lived in the area for five years or less.

• Small base sizes on this issue mean that similar analysis on a borough or sub-borough basis can only be undertaken with caution, but there is no evidence in the data to suggest that the county-wide patterns are not reflected in Fylde.

Knowledge of Local Government Review

Q13 Before this interview today, how much, if anything, would you say you knew about this review of local government? A great deal A fair amount Just a little Heard of but know nothing about it Never heard of it Don't know

Fylde borough East Fylde West Fylde

2% 1% 2% 11% 13% 16%

41% 42% 41%

32% 36% 31%

11% 9% 10%

Base: Fylde: 300 residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 – 23 February 2004 Base: East Fylde: 276 residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 - 23 February 2004 Base: West Fylde: 291 residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 - 23 February 2004

19 Around half of residents across the county have heard of the review, even if they know nothing about it (52%). A higher proportion has heard of the review in Fylde (58%), and the East Fylde area (58%) and West Fylde area (59%). Among those who have heard of it, newspapers (national or local) are the most common source of information about the review, followed by other media such as TV and radio, and then leaflets (from local authorities, the Committee or other sources). As the following charts illustrate, the patterns in the Fylde borough as a whole also pertain to East Fylde and West Fylde.

Sources of information – Overview (Fylde borough)

Q14 Where did you hear about the review?

Newspapers 57%

TV\Radio\Posters 27%

Leaflets 10%

Councils 2%

Websites 2%

Base: 188 Fylde residents, 18+, who have heard of the review, 1 December 2003 to 23 February 2004

20 Sources of information – Overview (East Fylde)

Q14 Where did you hear about the review?

Newspapers 53%

TV\Radio\Posters 36%

Leaflets 6%

Councils 2%

Websites 1%

Base: 169 East Fylde residents, 18+, who have heard of the review, 1 December 2003 to 23 February 2004

Sources of information – Overview (West Fylde)

Q14 Where did you hear about the review?

Newspapers 58%

TV\Radio\Posters 30%

Leaflets 11%

Councils 5%

Websites 1%

Base: 191 West Fylde residents, 18+, who have heard of the review, 1 December 2003 to 23 February 2004

3. Preferred Patterns of Local Government Most and Least Preferred Options The Committee put forward three patterns of unitary local government in Lancashire for consultation, while also remaining open to giving further consideration to alternative patterns. In each of the options, apart from Option A, the proposal for Fylde is to divide the borough, creating a new unitary council based on a combination of parts of Fylde and Wyre with Preston, South Ribble and Chorley, and expanding the Blackpool unitary council area to include the remaining parts of Fylde and Wyre. The options for the Lancashire area are:

• Option A: - A new unitary council would cover the majority of the existing County Council area; - Rochdale would be expanded to include part of Rossendale borough; - Blackpool would be expanded to include the Fleetwood and Thornton-Cleveleys areas of Wyre borough. • Option B: - Preston, South Ribble and Chorley boroughs, and parts of Fylde and Wyre boroughs would be combined; - Blackburn with Darwen together with Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley boroughs and part of Rossendale borough combined; - Blackpool with parts of Wyre and Fylde boroughs combined; - Lancaster City, and Barrow-in-Furness and South Lakeland districts from Cumbria, combined; - Sefton would be expanded to include part of West Lancashire district; - Wigan would be expanded to include part of West Lancashire district; - Rochdale would be expanded to include part of Rossendale borough. • Option C: - Preston, South Ribble and Chorley boroughs, and parts of Fylde and Wyre boroughs would be combined; - Blackburn with Darwen combined with Hyndburn and Ribble Valley boroughs; - Burnley and Pendle boroughs and part of Rossendale borough combined; - Blackpool combined with parts of Wyre and Fylde boroughs; - Lancaster City combined with Barrow-in-Furness and South Lakeland districts from Cumbria; - Sefton would be expanded to include part of West Lancashire district; - Wigan would be expanded to include part of West Lancashire district; - Rochdale would be expanded to include part of Rossendale borough.

23 In the first part of this chapter, we compare residents’ overall preferences for the options for unitary local government boundaries put forward by the Committee. Later in the chapter, we look in more detail at each option.

• Overall, there is a balance of preferences between Options A, B and C in Lancashire, each being preferred by roughly a fifth of residents (22%, 19% and 18% respectively).

• 14% state, unprompted, that they would prefer no change, while 4% state some other (unprompted) option.

• Across Fylde borough as a whole, however, Options A and B are similarly preferred by a fifth of residents (21% and 19% respectively), but Option C is preferred by less than one in ten (8%).

• A higher proportion in Fylde, compared to Lancashire generally, state an unprompted preference for no change (20%). 2% state, unprompted, some other option. Nearly a third of residents (30%) were unable to state a view, compared to just under a quarter (23%) for Lancashire in general.

• The additional sampling MORI has undertaken in East and West Fylde has served to bring out a slightly higher emphasis on Option A over Option B. In East Fylde and West Fylde there is a preference for Option A (by 27% and 22% respectively) over Option B (preferred by 19% and 16%). Option C is preferred by one in ten residents in each area (11%).

Preferred Pattern of Local Government - Lancashire

Q15/16 Which of these options, if any, would you most prefer for the [name of district council] area? You can include any other option which is not listed on this card. And which would you least prefer?

Most preferred Least preferred

Option A 22% 36%

Option B 19% 10%

Option C 18% 15%

Pendle and Ribble Valley 1%

Other Option 3%

No change 14% 1%

Don't know 23% 39%

Base: 3,676 Lancashire County Council residents 18+, 1 December 2003 to 23 February 2004

24 • In other aspects there is little distinction between these two areas and the rest of Fylde. In East Fylde and West Fylde, a similar proportion of residents nominate an unprompted preference for no change (22% and 19% in each case) or another unprompted alternative option (2% each). However, in East Fylde, fewer residents are unable to state a preference (18% compared to 30% in West Fylde.

• In contrast to the balance of views evident about residents’ most preferred option, there is a clearer picture in Lancashire about residents’ least preferred option. Option A is the least preferred option in the county as a whole (nominated by 36% of residents). This is also the case in Fylde borough (36%). No other option was mentioned by more than 17% of residents in Lancashire, Fylde borough council area, East Fylde or West Fylde.

• A significant proportion were unable to express a view on their preferred pattern of local government. In the county as a whole, around one in four say they do not know what is their most preferred option is (23%). Across the borough area as a whole, and in West Fylde, three in ten residents are unsure (30%). In East Fylde, just under one in five residents are unsure (18%).

• Generally, rather more do not know their least preferred option: 39% in Lancashire and Fylde as a whole.

Preferred Pattern of Local Government – Fylde borough

Q15/16 Which of these options, if any, would you most prefer for the Fylde Borough Council area? You can include any other option which is not listed on this card. And which would you least prefer?

Most preferred Least preferred

Option A 21% 36%

Option B 19% 11%

Option C 8% 14%

Other Option 2%

No change 20%

Don't know 30% 39%

Base: Fylde: 300 residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 – 23 February 2004

25 Preferred Pattern of Local Government – East Fylde

Q15/16 Which of these options, if any, would you most prefer for the Fylde Borough Council area? You can include any other option which is not listed on this card. And which would you least prefer?

Most preferred Least preferred

Option A 27% 28%

Option B 19% 8%

Option C 11% 17%

Other Option 2%

No change 22%

Don't know 18% 47%

Base: East Fylde: 276 residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 - 23 February 2004

Preferred Pattern of Local Government – West Fylde

Q15/16 Which of these options, if any, would you most prefer for the Fylde Borough Council area? You can include any other option which is not listed on this card. And which would you least prefer?

Most preferred Least preferred

Option A 22% 32%

Option B 16% 11%

Option C 11% 14%

Other Option 2%

No change 19%

Don't know 30% 43%

Base: West Fylde: 291 residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 - 23 February 2004

26 Changing Boundaries - Most Important Issues Four issues in particular are identified by residents (from a prompted list) as being most important to take into account when deciding how to change the boundaries of council areas in the county: the quality of services, cost of services, accountability to local people and responding to local people’s wishes. These four factors apply in each area - Lancashire, Fylde, East Fylde and West Fylde. No other factor is mentioned by more than 5% of residents in any of the areas.

Residents tend to identify these issues regardless of their demographic characteristics, although, across the county as a whole, younger people (aged 18-34 years) and higher social grades (AB) are more likely to identify quality of services.

Changing Boundaries - Most Important Issues (Lancashire)

Q24 When deciding on how to change the boundaries of council areas in Lancashire, which one of the things on this list, if any, do you think is the single most important issue to take into account?

% Prompted preferences (top four mentions)

Quality of services 26%

Responding to local 22% people's wishes

Being accountable 19% to local people

Cost of services 14%

Base: 3,676 Lancashire County Council residents 18+, 1 December 2003 to 23 February 2004

27 Changing Boundaries - Most Important Issues (Fylde Borough)

Q24 When deciding on how to change the boundaries of council areas in Lancashire, which one of the things on this list, if any, do you think is the single most important issue to take into account?

% Prompted preferences (top four mentions)

Quality of services 27%

Responding to local 21% people's wishes

Cost of services 17%

Being accountable 15% to local people

Base: 300 Fylde residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 - 23 February 2004

Changing Boundaries - Most Important Issues (East Fylde)

Q24 When deciding on how to change the boundaries of council areas in Lancashire, which one of the things on this list, if any, do you think is the single most important issue to take into account?

% Prompted preferences (top four mentions)

Quality of services 30%

Responding to local 21% people's wishes

Being accountable 19% to local people

Cost of services 13%

Base: East Fylde: 276 residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 - 23 February 2004

28 Changing Boundaries - Most Important Issues (West Fylde)

Q24 When deciding on how to change the boundaries of council areas in Lancashire, which one of the things on this list, if any, do you think is the single most important issue to take into account?

% Prompted preferences (top four mentions)

Quality of services 26%

Responding to local 19% people's wishes

Being accountable 17% to local people

Cost of services 17%

Base: West Fylde: 291 residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 - 23 February 2004

29 The Following Sections

The following sections look at the data for each of the options put forward by the Committee for consultation. The approach taken is to consider the data for the county as a whole, where sample sizes enable a robust consideration of the findings. Where appropriate, data for Fylde, East Fylde and West Fylde are then considered in the context of the county-wide data, though caution should be applied where base sizes are small. More details about the findings in Lancashire can be found in MORI’s separate report on county-wide findings.

30 Option A

The Committee’s Option A comprises a single unitary council based upon the majority of the County Council area, together with an expansion of the Blackpool and Rochdale council areas to include parts of Wyre and Rossendale boroughs respectively.

31 Residents’ reasons for preferring Option A focus primarily on efficiency and value for money (mentioned by just over a quarter – 27%), followed by reflecting local people’s views and identity, and creating a strong council. On the other hand, those who least prefer this option focus primarily on its geographical size as a disadvantage (mentioned by around three fifths – 61%). However, other key factors, mentioned by around one fifth to a quarter each, are the view that it would not reflect local people’s views or identity, would not improve council services, and would be less efficient. A broadly similar view obtains in Fylde.

Reasons for Option A being Least Preferred Option (Lancashire)

Q17 Which [of these] reasons best describe why you like this option most? % Option A (top five reasons)

More efficient/better value for money 27%

It would reflect local people's views 20%

It would create a strong council 18%

It would reflect local identity 18%

It's my instinct/I just think it would be the 17% best

Base: 796 Lancashire County Council residents 18+, who most prefer Option A, 1 December 2003 to 23 February 2004

Reasons for Option A being Least Preferred Option (Lancashire)

Q18 Which [of these] reasons apply to why you least like this option? % Option A (top five reasons)

I would not like my council to cover a large 61% area

It would not reflect local people's views 28%

It would not reflect local identity 22%

It would not improve council services 20%

The council would be less efficient/value 18% for money

Base: 1,312 Lancashire County Council residents 18+, who least prefer Option A, 1 December 2003 to 23 February 2004

32 Demographic distinctions among those who prefer Option A are not generally particularly striking. But, compared with a county-wide preference by 22% of residents, Option A is more preferred among those who know a great deal or fair amount about the review (28%). There is also a greater preference for Option A among residents who feel they belong to the county council area (25%) and to the county area (24%).

Residents who favour Option A are quite firm about their preference – 33% feel very strongly and 47% fairly strongly (a total of 80% feeling very or fairly strongly).

Strength of Feeling for Preferring Option A (Lancashire)

Q19 Thinking about your preferred option, how strongly would your say you prefer this option compared to the other options provided on this showcard?

Very strongly Fairly strongly Not very strongly Not at all strongly Don't know

2%4%

15% 33%

47%

Base: 796 Lancashire County Council residents 18+, who most prefer Option A, 1 December 2003 to 23 February 2004

Option B

The Committee’s Option B comprises one unitary council to serve the central boroughs of Preston, South Ribble, Chorley, and parts of Fylde and Wyre, and combining the remaining boroughs within Lancashire with neighbouring councils to create six new unitary council areas (see page 23 for details).

35 Residents’ reasons for preferring Option B focus primarily on their preference for a council which covers a small area (mentioned by 37%), along with the view that it would reflect local people’s views and local identity (20% each). On the other hand, those who least prefer this option focus primarily on the view that it would not reflect local people’s views or local identity - also, that it would be less efficient, would not improve council services and it would instinctively be the worst option.

Reasons for Option B being Most Preferred Option (Lancashire)

Q17 Which [of these] reasons best describe why you like this option most? % Option B (top six reasons)

I would like my council to cover a small 37% area

It would reflect local people's views 20%

It would reflect local identity 20%

It's my instinct/I just think it would be the 18% best

The council would be more efficient/value 17% for money

It would improve council services 17%

Base: 643 Lancashire County Council residents 18+, who most prefer Option B, 1 December 2003 to 23 February 2004

Reasons for Option B being Least Preferred Option (Lancashire)

Q18 Which [of these] reasons apply to why you least like this option? % Option B (top five reasons)

It would not reflect local people's views 28%

It would not reflect local identity 25%

It's my instinct/ I just think it would be the 25% worst

It would not improve council services 21%

The council would be less efficient/value for 21% money

Base: 371 Lancashire County Council residents 18+, who least prefer Option B, 1 December 2003 to 23 February 2004

36 Again, demographic distinctions among those who prefer Option B are not particularly striking. But, compared with a county-wide preference for Option B by 19% of residents, it is slightly more preferred among younger residents (22% of 18-34s), those who have lived in the area for five years or less (22%), and higher social grades (22% of ABs).

As with Option A, those residents who favour Option B feel strongly about their preference, although they are less likely to say that they feel very strongly - around a fifth (18%) feel very strongly, compared with around a third for Options A and C. Three fifths (62%) feel fairly strongly (a total of 80% feeling very or fairly strongly).

Strength of Feeling for Option B (Lancashire)

Q19 Thinking about your preferred option, how strongly would your say you prefer this option compared to the other options provided on this showcard?

Very strongly Fairly strongly Not very strongly Not at all strongly Don't know

1%5% 18% 15%

62%

Base: 643 Lancashire County Council residents 18+, who most prefer Option B, 1 December 2003 to 23 February 2004

Option C

The Committee’s Option C comprises two unitary councils - one serving Preston, South Ribble, and parts of Fylde and Wyre, and one serving Burnley, Pendle and part of Rossendale borough - and combining the remaining boroughs within Lancashire with neighbouring councils to create six new unitary council areas (see page 23 for details).

39 Lancashire residents’ reasons for preferring Option C focus primarily on their wish for a council which covers a small area (mentioned by 51%), along with the view that it would reflect local people’s views and local identity, be more accountable, and improve council services. On the other hand, those who least prefer this option focus primarily on the view that it would be less efficient and less good value for money (mentioned by 24%), and would not improve council services.

Reasons for Option C being Most Preferred Option (Lancashire)

Q17 Which [of these] reasons best describe why you like this option most? % Option C (top six reasons)

I would like my council to cover a small 51% area

It would reflect local people's views 32%

It would reflect local identity 21%

The council would be more accountable 21%

It would improve council services 20%

It's my instinct/I just think it would be the 20% best

Base: 699 Lancashire County Council residents 18+, who most prefer Option C, 1 December 2003 to 23 February 2004

Reasons for Option C being Least Preferred Option (Lancashire)

Q18 Which [of these] reasons apply to why you least like this option? % Option C (top five reasons)

The council would be less efficient/value for 24% money

It would not improve council services 19%

It's my instinct/I just think it would be the 16% worst

It's the worst of the available options 16%

I would not like my council to cover a large 15% area

Base: 549 Lancashire County Council residents 18+, who least prefer Option C, 1 December 2003 to 23 February 2004

40 Demographic distinctions among those who prefer Option C are not generally particularly striking. But, compared with a county-wide preference for Option C by 18% of residents, there is a marginally greater preference among lower social grades (22% of DEs) and those who do not have a sense of belonging to the county council area (20%).

As with the other options, those residents who favour Option C feel similarly strongly about their preference – 32% feel very strongly and 50% fairly strongly (a total of 82% feeling very or fairly strongly).

Strength of Feeling for Option C (Lancashire)

Q19 Thinking about your preferred option, how strongly would your say you prefer this option compared to the other options provided on this showcard?

Very strongly Fairly strongly Not very strongly Not at all strongly Don't know

5% 2% 11% 32%

50%

Base: 699 Lancashire County Council residents 18+, who most prefer Option C, 1 December 2003 to 23 February 2004

4. Preferred New Council Name

The Committee also wished to consult on possible names for any new unitary councils. Those respondents who preferred each option were asked about a number of names in relation to their preferred option. These respondents were also given the opportunity to spontaneously mention another name not on the list if they wished. Preferences of Lancashire residents overall are set out in MORI’s separate report on county-wide findings.

The most popular choice of name for the unitary council proposed in Option A, which would cover the majority of Lancashire county council area including Fylde, is ‘Lancashire’ (83%) – a view that also applies in East Fylde and West Fylde.

Base sizes are low, but the most popular choices of name for the council which would cover Preston, South Ribble, Chorley and parts of Fylde and Wyre are ‘Central Lancashire’ and ‘Preston, South Ribble and Chorley’. Along with ‘Greater Preston’, these names are also popular in East Fylde. ‘Fylde Coast’ and ‘Blackpool, Wyre & Fylde’ are the most popular names amongst West Fylde area residents.

Again, base sizes are low, but the most popular choices of name for the expanded Blackpool council area, incorporating parts of Wyre and Fylde are ‘Fylde Coast’ and ‘Fylde Coastal’. Along with ‘Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde’, these names are also popular in West Fylde. ‘Greater Preston’ is the most popular choice among East Fylde residents who prefer this option.

5. Community Identity Residents’ Sense of Community

In our research at Stage One of the Committee’s review, MORI asked a suite of questions about residents’ sense of community. The purpose was to help the Committee identify where linkages may or may not exist between local authority areas. For the additional Stage Three research in areas (such as Fylde) which the Committee identified could be split in the event of local government reorganisation, MORI asked the same bank of questions in order to help identify these linkages in the affected sub-district areas.

For the purpose of this research, we differentiate between ‘effective community’ and ‘affective community’. We define ‘effective community’ as the sense of place created by visiting practical locations which cater for shopping or leisure needs, work place, or where parents take their children to school. For this, respondents were asked to identify, unprompted, the towns or areas they visit for practical reasons, which therefore form the basis of their effective communities.

We define ‘affective community’ as the sense of place created by residents forming an emotional attachment to a community: where residents feel they most belong, the town or area they most might identify with. As we pointed out in our Stage One reports, the impact of friends, family and friendly neighbours watching out and supporting people can be considerable. This helps to develop an effective community into an affective one. Effective Communities

As we reported in our Stage One report, the overall picture in Fylde is of residents using many facilities which are outside the borough at least as much as those which are inside. For the borough as a whole, there are two major local authority areas which act as a draw for Fylde residents – Preston and Blackpool. As the table below shows, however, there are some distinctions between the east and west of the borough (East Fylde and West Fylde) and the rest of the borough. Blackpool is a much stronger practical draw in the west of the borough – unsurprisingly, since it is adjacent to that part of the borough. Preston, on the other hand, is a major attraction in the east of the borough – again unsurprisingly, since it is adjacent. Within the borough, Lytham St. Annes is a strong pull for the whole borough, but particularly in the West Fylde area, while Kirkham is a major focus in the East Fylde area.

Main Food Shopping Around three fifths of Fylde residents (58%) undertake their main food shopping outside Fylde borough. The most common destination is the town of Blackpool (37%) in the Blackpool Borough Council area, followed by Lytham St. Anne’s in the Fylde area (28%) and Preston in the Preston City Council area (11%). Overall, just over half of older residents (52% - 55 years+) stay within Fylde borough for their main food shopping, compared with just over a quarter of younger residents (28% - under 35s). Reflecting this division, visitors to Blackpool for main food shopping are more likely to be younger residents (46%) than older (34%). Residents in urban areas are more likely to stay in Fylde borough for their food shopping than those in rural areas (49% and 18% respectively).

In East Fylde, a lower proportion of residents undertake their main food shopping inside Fylde borough (31%), mostly in Kirkham (26%). A much higher proportion of East Fylde residents do their food shopping in Preston (35%) than is the case for Fylde residents generally. In West Fylde, 50% undertake their main food shopping in Fylde borough. Most of these residents shop in Lytham St. Anne’s (48%). As might be expected, Blackpool is a bigger draw than elsewhere in the borough, attracting 41% of West Fylde residents.

45 Clothes and Household Goods Shopping Around one in four residents (23%) generally stay within the Fylde borough area for clothes and household goods shopping. Preston is the most frequently visited destination for this kind of trip, with over a third of the residents (35%) visiting the city. Blackpool is the other major destination (26%).

In East Fylde, Preston dominates, attracting 67% of residents for clothes and household goods shopping; 16% go to Blackpool, few residents remain in Fylde borough (8%). In West Fylde, Blackpool attracts 37% of residents for clothes and household goods shopping; 20% go to Lytham St. Annes and 17% go to Preston. In total, just over a quarter of residents remain in Fylde borough (27%).

Schools Three in ten of our sample in Fylde borough (28%) have school-aged children (aged 5-16) living in their household. Four fifths of parents (79%) send their children to school within Fylde borough. The most common locations are Lytham St. Annes (40%) and Kirkham (19%), but as would be expected there is a spread around the area. Few travel to school in Blackpool (10%) or Preston (3%).

In East Fylde, the majority of children go to school in Kirkham (56%), with the rest split between a variety of locations. Only 1% of children go to school in Blackpool. In West Fylde, most children go to school in Lytham St. Annes (61%). However in West Fylde, Blackpool is a much stronger pull, with 29% of children going to school in the town.

Places of Work Around half of our sample in Fylde borough are in full- or part-time work (53%). Of those in work, over half do so within the borough (56%). These are mainly women (65%), with men in general more likely to work in a variety of locations (52% work within the area). Outside the borough, the next most frequent work places are Preston and Blackpool (16% and 11% respectively).

In both East Fylde and West Fylde, a similar proportion work within the borough (49% and 48%). In East Fylde a higher proportion works within the Preston area (22%) than is found among Fylde residents generally. In contrast, Blackpool is a greater pull for West Fylde residents, representing the most common single destination (28%).

A similar picture in all areas emerges for other adults in the household who work.

Leisure and Sporting Activities Three fifths of Fylde residents stay in Fylde borough for leisure and sporting activities (61%). The town of Lytham St. Anne’s is the most frequent destination (39%). Blackpool is also a significant attraction (15%), particularly among social grades DE (27%).

A similar pattern applies in West Fylde, although residents here are more likely to visit Blackpool (22%). In East Fylde, the major pulls are again Kirkham (20%) and, outside the borough, Preston (21%).

Summary The table below summarises residents’ effective communities. Full details of all the locations identified by residents are set out in the computer tabulations available under separate cover.

46 Effective Communities: Fylde Borough

Q Which town or area do you generally go for/to… % of residents identifying Q28: Q29: Q30: Q31: Q32: Q33: town or area (where at least 3%) Main Shop for Child’s Main Other Leisure & food clothes school place adults sporting shopping & of work place activities house- of work hold goods (note 1) (note 2) (note 3) %%%%%% 1. Fylde Borough residents Base: Fylde residents (300) (300) (75) (117) (136) (300)

Fylde Borough Council area 42 23 79 56 48 61

Other Lancashire districts Preston City Council area 11 35 3 16 12 12 Wyre BC area 1 1 1 3 4 3

Other Authorities Blackpool BC area 37 26 10 11 22 15 Manchester City Council area 0 3 1 * 3 1

2. East Fylde residents Base: East Fylde residents (276) (276) (87) (139) (162) (276)

Fylde Borough Council area 31 8 83 49 43 41

Other Lancashire districts Chorley BC area 0 0 0 2 3 1 Preston City Council area 35 67 5 22 22 21 Wyre BC area 3 * 4 3 5 4

Other Authorities Blackpool BC area 30 16 1 11 13 16 Manchester City Council area 0 3 1 1 3 1

3. West Fylde residents Base: West Fylde residents (291) (291) (59) (104) (135) (291)

Fylde Borough Council area 50 27 62 48 40 65

Other Lancashire districts Preston City Council area 1 17 2 7 7 1 Wyre BC area 2 1 1 4 2 4

Other Authorities Blackpool BC area 41 37 29 28 32 22 Bury MBC area 1 1 3 1 1 1 Manchester City Council area 0 5 0 1 2 1

(1) Asked only of those with school aged children (2) Asked only of workers (3) Asked only in households with someone else in work

47 Affective Communities

In the borough as a whole, over half of all residents (56%) identify most with Lytham St. Anne’s, with one in eight identifying with Preston (13%). As with effective communities, the links with Kirkham (30%) and Preston (33%) are much stronger in East Fylde. Similarly, links with Lytham St. Anne’s (74%) and the Blackpool area (15%) are stronger in West Fylde.

Association with Town – Fylde Borough

Q27 Overall, which town do you currently most associate yourself with? (unprompted)

Mentions (3%+) of towns inside Fylde Borough Council area

Lytham St Anne's 56%

Kirkham 5%

Freckleton 4%

Mentions (3%+) of towns outside Fylde Borough Council area

Preston 13%

Blackpool 9%

Base: 300 Fylde residents, 18+, 1 December 2003 – 23 February 2004

48 Association with Town – East Fylde

Q27 Overall, which town do you currently most associate yourself with? (unprompted)

Mentions (3%+) of towns inside Fylde Borough Council area Kirkham 30%

Lytham St Anne's 9%

Freckleton 6%

Mentions (3%+) of towns outside Fylde Borough Council area

Preston 33%

Blackpool 8%

Base: 276 East Fylde residents 18+, 1 December 2003 – 23 February 2003

Association with Town – West Fylde

Q27 Overall, which town do you currently most associate yourself with? (unprompted)

Mentions (3%+) of towns inside West Fylde Borough Council area

Lytham St Anne's 74%

Mentions (3%+) of towns outside Fylde Borough Council area

Blackpool 15%

Base: 291 West Fylde residents 18+, 1 December – 23 February 2004

When looking at borough wide data, residents’ sense of affective community with other areas (Blackpool and Preston) does not appear to be as strong as the effective links. This remains the case when looking at sub-borough data for West Fylde residents in relation to Blackpool. In the east of the borough, however, both effective and affective ties with Preston are stronger. The evidence suggests that in the borough as a whole, as well as in the sub-borough areas of East Fylde and West Fylde, there is relatively close association between effective and affective communities.

Appendices

1. Option Showcards 2. Research Methodology 3. Definitions of Social Grade and Area 4. Marked-up Questionnaires Fylde borough East Fylde area West Fylde area

Appendix 1 – Option Showcards

The following ‘showcards’ were used during the interview to illustrate the options upon which the Committee was consulting. For technical reasons, the layout varies slightly from the actual ‘showcards’ used by interviewers, on which all the information for an option was contained on one side of A4.

53 J20362/5 HIRE OPTIONS CARD: Option A

South Lakeland District

6 Craven District M

Morecombe Lancaster Lancaster, Ribble Valley, Pendle, Burnley, Hyndburn, Preston Fylde, South Ribble, Chorley, West Lancashire and part of Wyre and part of Rossendale Districts combined

Fleetwood

Cleveleys Clitheroe Blackpool and part of Colne Wyre District combined Br adfor d Nelson Dis tr ict Blackpool M55 5 Burnley M6 Preston Accrington Lytham Calderdale Dis Black bur n w ith Dar w e n Bacup 6 M Rochdale and part of Chorley Rossendale District combined Rochdale

Bury District 62 Bolton District M Ormskirk Sefton District Oldham District Skelmersdale Middleton 8 5 M Wigan District

Manchester District

Salford Dis trict Tameside District

A: Lancashire County Council would cover the majority of the existing county council area: Population 1,051,400 B: Rochdale Borough Council would be expanded to include part of Rossendale Borough: Population: 212,600 C: Blackpool Borough Council would be expanded to include the Fleetwood and Thornton- Cleveleys areas of Wyre District: Population: 218,500 Services: The new councils would each have responsibility for delivering all local government services in their area. Responsibility for major land use planning would be shared between the authorities. There would be a new Fire Authority for the whole of Lancashire and there would be no change to the area covered by the Police Authority. Community Representation: Would represent the interests of all communities within Lancashire, and reflect the needs of local people throughout the county. Estimated costs of ‘being in business’*: Are predicted to be around £12.9 million per year (currently £38.7 million per year). Note: The costs of ‘being in business’ are those incurred by a local authority regardless of the level of services required or delivered. They are only a small proportion of the total costs. Lancashire would be retained for ceremonial and related purposes.

Note *Barrow-in-Furness and South Lakeland (in Cumbria) have not been included in the current costs for Lancashire J20362/5 ASSHIREHIRE OPTIONS CARD: Option B

Allerdale District Teesdale District Eden District Copeland District

Richmondshire District Kendal

Barrow-in-Furness, South Lakeland and Lancaster Districts combined

Ulverston

Barrow In Furness 6 M

Lancaster Craven District

Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley and part of Rosse nda le Districts com bine d Fleetwood Preston, South Ribble, Chorley and part of Wyre and part of Clitheroe Colne Fylde Districts com bine d Br adfor d Dis tr ict Blackpool and part of Blackpool M55 Wyre and part of Fylde 65 Burnley Districts com bine d M Preston Accrington Lytham Calderdale District

6 Darwen Bacup M Rochdale and part of Southport Chorley Rossendale Districts combined Sefton and part of West Rochdale 62 Lancashire Districts combined Bur y Dis tr ictM Skelmersdale Bolton Dis tr ict Oldham District 8 5 M Atherton

Aintree Leigh Wigan and part of West Bootle Lancashire Districts combined High Pe ak Dis tr ict

Liverpool District Warrington

A Preston, South Ribble and Chorley Districts and part of Fylde and Wyre Districts would be combined: Population: 384,400 B Blackburn with Darwen Borough, Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Districts and part of Rossendale District combined: Population 510,100 C Blackpool Borough with parts of Wyre and Fylde Districts combined: Population: 270,600 D Lancaster City, and Barrow-in-Furness and South Lakeland districts from Cumbria combined: Population 308,200

E Sefton Borough would be expanded to include part of West Lancashire District combined: Population: 338,900

F Wigan would be expanded to include part of West Lancashire District: Population: 353,900

G Rochdale would be expanded to include part of Rossendale Borough: Population: 212,600 Services:The new councils would each have responsibility for delivering all local authority services in their area.

Responsibility for major land use planning would be shared between all the authorities. There would be new police and fire authorities for the whole of Lancashire and Cumbria.

Community Representation: The new authorities would represent the interests of all the communities in their council areas and take into account the needs of local residents in their authorities.

Estimated costs of ‘being in business’*: Are predicted to be around £23.1 million per year (currently £38.7 million per year)**.

Lancashire would be retained for ceremonial and related purposes. The South Cumbria & Lancaster authority would be associated with Lancashire for ceremonial and related purposes.

Note * The costs of ‘being in business’ are those incurred by a local authority regardless of the level of services required or delivered. They are only a small proportion of the total costs.

Note **Barrow-in-Furness and South Lakeland (in Cumbria) have not been included in the current costs for Lancashire J20362/5 HIRE OPTIONS CARD: Option C

Allerdale District Teesdale District Eden District Copeland District

Richmondshire District Kendal

Barrow-in-Furness, South Lakeland and Lancaster Districts combined

Ulverston

Craven District Barrow In Furness 6 M

Lancaster Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Districts combined

Burnley, Pendle and part of Fleetwood Rosse nda le Districts com bine d Preston, South Ribble, Chorley and part of Wyre and part of Clitheroe Colne Fylde Districts combined Br adfor d Dis tr ict Blackpool and part of Blackpool M55 Wyre and part of Fylde 65 Burnley Districts com bine d M Preston Accrington Lytham Calderdale District Bacup 6 Darw en M Rochdale and part of Southport Chorley Rossendale Districts combined Sefton and part of West Rochdale 62 Lancashire Districts combined Bury Dis tr ictM Skelmersdale Bolton Dis tr ict Oldham District 8 5 M Atherton

Aintree Leigh Tameside District Wigan and part of West Bootle Lancashire Districts combined Hig h Pe ak Dis tr ict Wirral District Liverpool District Warrington

A Preston, South Ribble and Chorley Districts and part of Fylde and Wyre Districts combined: Population: 384,400 B Blackburn with Darwen Borough combined with Hyndburn and Ribble Valley: Population 272,900 C Burnley and Pendle Districts and part of Rossendale District combined: Population 237,200 D Blackpool Borough combined with parts of Wyre and Fylde Districts: Population 270,600 E Lancaster City combined with Barrow-in-Furness and South Lakeland Districts from Cumbria: Population 308,200 F Sefton Borough would be expanded to include part of West Lancashire District: Population 338,900 G Wigan would be expanded to include part of West Lancashire District: Population 353,900 H Rochdale would be expanded to include part of Rossendale Borough: Population: 212,600 Services: The new councils would each have responsibility for delivering all local authority services in their area. Responsibility for major land use planning would be shared between all the authorities. There would be new police and fire authorities for the whole of Lancashire and Cumbria.

Community Representation: The new authorities would represent the interests of all the communities in their council areas and take into account the needs of local residents in their authorities. Estimated costs of ‘being in business’*: Are predicted to be £25.9 million per year (currently £38.7 million per year)**. Lancashire would be retained for ceremonial and related purposes. The South Cumbria & Lancaster authority would be associated with Lancashire for ceremonial and related purposes.

Note * The costs of ‘being in business’ are those incurred by a local authority regardless of the level of services required or delivered. They are only a small proportion of the total costs.

Note **Barrow-in-Furness and South Lakeland (in Cumbria) have not been included in the current costs for Lancashire Appendix 2 - Research Methodology Overview

Quantitative research seeks to answer the question of ‘what’ residents think, by measuring their attitudes on a range of pre-set questions.

In MORI’s main research, in the forty-four two-tier districts in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber regions, at least 300 quantitative face-to-face interviews were carried out in-home between 1 December 2003 and 23 February 2004. In addition, in the seven districts – including Fylde - where the Committee required additional interviews in order to obtain further information, a total of some 2,000 additional interviews took place.

This report sets out the findings from MORI’s research in Fylde, Lancashire. As part of the main research, 300 interviews took place across the borough. MORI undertook additional interviews in two areas in the east and west of the borough. In East Fylde, the total interviewed in that area was 276 (including both the main research and the additional interviews)1. In West Fylde a total of 291 interviews took place2.

Quotas were set by age, gender and work status using 2001 Census data. Data have been weighted back to the known demographic profile of each district by age and gender. Interpretation of the Data

It should be remembered that a sample, not the entire population of Fylde, has been interviewed. Consequently, all results are subject to margins of error, which means that not all differences are statistically significant. In addition, care should be taken in interpreting the results, because of the small number of respondents in some sub-groups, to ensure that the findings are statistically significant.

Unless otherwise stated, the base size for each question is provided. Where results do not sum to 100%, this may be due to multiple responses, computer rounding or the exclusion of ‘don’t know/not stated’ response categories. An asterisk (*) represents a value of less than half of one per cent, but not zero.

Ideally, every subgroup base will be at least 100 to allow apparent differences between subgroups to be taken as real. Where the base number is very low (<50) it is not advisable to make any inferences about that sub-group.

The sample tolerances that apply to the percentage results in this report are given in the table below. Strictly speaking, these only apply to a perfect random sample, although in practice good quality quota samples have been found to be as accurate. The following shows the possible variation that might be anticipated because a sample, rather than the entire population, was interviewed. As indicated, sampling tolerances vary with the size of the sample and the size of the percentage results.

Approximate sampling tolerances applicable to percentages at or near these levels

10% or 90% 30% or 70% 50% Base: ±± ±

Size of sample on which survey result is based

3,676 (e.g. total number of interviews in Lancashire) 1 1 2

3,000 1 2 2

2,500 1 2 2

1,500 2 2 3

1,000 2 3 3

750 2 3 4 c.300 (e.g. total number of interviews in each district/sub-district) 3 5 6

100 6 9 10

50 8 13 14

Source: MORI

60 For example, on a question where 50% of the people in a weighted sample of 300 respond with a particular answer, the chances are 95 in 100 that this result would not vary more than around 6 percentage points, plus or minus, from a complete coverage of the entire population using the same procedures. In other words, results would lie in the range 44% to 56%, but would be most likely to be 50%, the actual finding.

Tolerances are also involved in the comparison of results from different parts of the sample, and between two samples. A difference, in other words, must be of at least a certain size to be considered statistically significant. The following table is a guide to the sampling tolerances applicable to comparisons.

Differences required for significance at or near these percentages

10% or 90% 30% or 70% 50%

Base: ±± ±

Size of sample on which survey result is based

750 and 750 3 5 5 c.300 and c.300 (e.g. when comparing between districts/sub-districts) 5 7 8

250 and 250 5 8 9

150 and 150 7 10 11

100 and 100 8 13 14

50 and 50 12 18 20

Source: MORI

Appendix 3 – Social Grade and Area

Social Grade

Social Grades are standard classifications used in research, and are based on occupation of the chief income earner. They are defined as follows:

• A Professionals such as doctors, surgeons, solicitors or dentists; chartered people like architects; fully qualified people with a large degree of responsibility such as senior editors, senior civil servants, town clerks, senior business executives and managers, and high ranking grades of the Armed Services.

• B People with very responsible jobs such as university lecturers, hospital matrons, heads of local government departments, middle management in business, qualified scientists, bank managers, police inspectors, and upper grades of the Armed Services.

• C1 All others doing non-manual jobs; nurses, technicians, pharmacists, salesmen, publicans, people in clerical positions, police sergeants/constables, and middle ranks of the Armed Services.

• C2 Skilled manual workers/craftsmen who have served apprenticeships; foremen, manual workers with special qualifications such as long distance lorry drivers, security officers, and lower grades of Armed Services.

• D Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers, including labourers and mates of occupations in the C2 grade and people serving apprenticeships; machine minders, farm labourers, bus and railway conductors, laboratory assistants, postmen, door- to-door and van salesmen.

• E Those on lowest levels of subsistence including pensioners, casual workers, and others with minimum levels of income.

Area

Urban and rural classifications are based on the population density of the ward where the sample point is located. Wards with less than 2.8 persons per hectare are classified as rural, and wards with more than 2.8 people per hectare are classified as urban wards.

Appendix 4 - Marked-up Questionnaires