Latest polling reveals roads and pavements top concern locally
Roads and pavements now rank as the top priority amongst the British public when it comes to things that most need improving locally. The finding comes from a poll on local issues undertaken by Ipsos last month and published in the Municipal Journal on the 19 September 2013. The Ipsos Local Improvement Index asks a representative sample of British adults what four or five things from a list ‘most need improving’ in their local area. In 2013, the three top priorities locally are the condition of the roads and pavements (top of the list with 43% of British adults mentioning it), followed by activities for teenagers (36%), and the cleanliness of the streets (25%). Despite economic woes nationally (43% of British adults spontaneously identify the economy as the most important issue, or among the most important issues, facing Britain today in our national monthly Issues Index), wage levels and local cost of living barely figure at the local level (mentioned by less than one in 10 residents), although job prospects remains a top four issue (cited by 23%). These are the same top four local issues that we reported when we ran the Index last summer. But, we find the strength of sentiment changing in 2013. That job prospects are mentioned by a smaller proportion than a year ago is perhaps an encouraging sign of easing economic worry (although it still remains one of the top issues for 15 to 24 year olds). Last year one in three (34%) British adults thought job prospects needed improving locally; making it second on the list of top issues behind the perennial activities for teenagers (cited by 35%). Key universal services feature particularly prominently as in need of improvement. Roads and street cleaning feature above schools, health services and crime. In particular, there is increasing frustration at the state of local roads. Over four in ten now pick out the condition of the roads and pavements as among those most in need of improvement; a jump from the three in ten we witnessed just a year ago. The latest findings from this summer’s Ipsos Local Improvement Index serve to demonstrate just how challenging the environment is for local government decision-makers. Even when the economy is the top issue nationally, residents still have high expectations of their services locally.
Technical note Ipsos interviewed 992 British adults aged 15+ across Great Britain face-to-face in-home between 16 and 22 August 2013. Respondents were asked to choose from a list of 21 possibilities what they think most needs improving locally. Data is weighted to the known population profile.??
