Living in Lancashire wave 27
| Purpose | Look at street scene and the factors affecting it, specifically areas covered included: * littering and vandalism to property; * the road network; * pavements and public rights of way; * street lighting; * street furniture such as benches and bins; and * landscaping. |
|---|---|
| Subject |
Footpaths, bridleways and rights of way Road and pavement maintenance and repairs Street lighting The environment Traffic management, traffic calming measures |
| Commissioned by | Corporate Research and Intelligence Team, Policy Unit |
| Geographic area |
All of Lancashire |
|---|---|
| Method |
Questionnaire - postal |
| Consultation with |
Life in Lancashire panel |
| Date | 18/11/2009 - 11/12/2009 |
| Undertaken by | Corporate Research and Intelligence Team, Policy Unit |
Results
| Number in sample | 2785 |
|---|---|
| Number of responses | 1957 |
| Response rate | 70% |
| Key findings | Six in seven respondents across Lancashire are satisfied with their local area as a place to live overall (86%), with just 7% dissatisfied. Four in five respondents rated their neighbourhoods as clean (79%), while seven in ten said their local town or city was (72%). Most respondents would contact the police (67%) if they saw someone littering or vandalising property. Three-fifths are dissatisfied with small-scale road repairs and around two in five were also dissatisfied with residential roads and large scale road repairs. Respondents were more likely to agree that roads and pavements in Lancashire are repaired to an acceptable standard than agree that the roads are repaired quickly. Parking (45%) and dog fouling (39%) are seen as the biggest problems in local neighbourhoods. For street lighting the highest level of satisfaction occurred with lighting around main roads in the local area (85%), but respondents were less likely to be satisfied with the lighting provided in parks and open spaces (31%) and in alleys, ginnels or passageways (30%). When considering lower levels of street lighting the most common times named for low lighting are midnight until 5am in the morning in summer and 6am in winter. When asked about street furniture, respondents were most likely to say that there are too few dog foul bins (69%), litter bins (66%) and street benches (43%). Half of residents are satisfied with the provision and maintenance of street furniture locally (52%), with one in six dissatisfied (16%). Overall more people (59%) are satisfied with the maintenance of grass verges and 54% are satisfied with tree maintenance. Generally most panel members think that aspects of street scene have stayed the same, though more people think that aspects have got worse than got better. Priorities for improvement for local environment are improved cleanliness (59%), better pavements (37%), better timing of roadworks (31%) and better carriageway surfacing (30%). |
| Outcomes | A clear list of priorities for the streetscene - which is everything you see when you are out in your local area - were identified by the research. The Public Realm Project, launched in October last year, will address many of the problems identified. The project aims to improve the way the county, district and parish councils work together to manage the streetscene in Lancashire, and follows on from a successful pilot project in South Ribble. We hope that by working this way we will provide a more efficient service, help make surroundings look and feel better, and have streets that are smarter, safer, cleaner and greener. We are already addressing the highest priority for improved cleanliness in the first part of the project that covers "Clean and Green" services like street cleansing. We are reviewing the way we currently deliver these services and how they can be delivered more effectively in the future. This part of the project will also cover how we maintain trees, shrubs and grass verges. Better pavements, better carriageway resurfacing and better timing of roadworks were also priorities. We will be looking to improve these things in our annual review of inspection priorities and maintenance specifications. Our implementation of the Traffic Management Act also helps to ensure that all roadworks are timely and coordinated. The priorities from the research also included improved vehicle access and parking, better pedestrian facilities, better lighting, improved road markings, better signing and more traffic calming measures or speed restrictions. Future stages of our Public Realm Strategy will deal with these things and focus on how we work together with the district and parish councils to deliver our services, paying particular attention to the priorities the research highlighted. |
Project document(s)
Report(s)
Questionnaire(s)
Contact information
For more information about this research contact:
Melissa Sherliker
01772 535019
Email: haveyoursay@lancashire.gov.uk