Malvern Hills District Council reveals results of annual Residents' Survey

Residents within the Malvern Hills District have said they are satisfied with the area they live, local parks, and leisure facilities, according to a council survey.

Organised by Malvern Hills District Council, more than 1,400 people took part in the Annual Residents' Survey, which is a record number compared to previous years.

The survey, which ran from 21 September to 16 October 2022, asked residents for their comments on their local area, where they feel there are issues in their communities, and how satisfied they are with the council and its services.

Compared to the previous year's survey results, this year show significant improvement in perceptions across the majority of measures.

The results showed an improvement in the number of people who were satisfied with their local area as a place to live, at over 89%.

Satisfaction with service areas has improved with, Parks and Open Spaces, Waste and Recycling, and Malvern Theatres all returning satisfaction rates in excess of 90%.

Most community safety perceptions have remained at similar levels to previous years or have improved, including feelings of safety in the dark and issues with rubbish and litter lying around, which has shown improvement following some falls in 2021.

Positively, the number of respondents who have felt socially isolated and lonely at some point in the last year has also decreased from 2021, to just over 20%.

In many cases, the results are the best the council has ever achieved or are matched to the very high results seen during Covid in 2020.

This includes 'satisfaction with how the council runs things' which is now at 71%, the same as the record result recorded in 2020. The extent to which 'the council provides Value for Money' is also at its highest level with over 51% and over 65% have said that they believe the council 'acts on the concerns of residents'.

The responses to all questions, including those where residents could free type their views, will now be used to help the council decide where to focus resources through its planning for services in the future and over the coming few months.

Cllr Tom Wells Leader of Malvern Hills District Council, said: "We are very pleased with the exceptional response rate of the latest Annual Residents' Survey, which is the highest ever recorded. The results are positive overall and show a high satisfaction rate with council services and the local areas in which people live. These results are so important to us, we take into account all of the responses and comments which will all go towards council service planning. We shall not be resting on our laurels and continue to strive to provide excellent value for money in the services we provide".

Sign up to the council's email service at www.malvernhills.gov.uk/emailalerts to ensure your invitation to have your say in future consultations and surveys.