Place Survey 2008

he survey was sent to a random sample of 3,400 people and there were 1,398 responses.

 

The results show that Richmond upon Thames is one of the best places to live in the country, with an overwhelming 92% of residents saying they are satisfied with their local area as a place to live. Resident satisfaction with the way the council runs things at 53% is the highest in the suburbs and among the best in capital, and understanding of how council tax is spent has seen an increase since 2006/2007 to 57%.

 

Other highlights include Richmond's community cohesion score, with 88% believing that people from different backgrounds get on well together in the local area. Self-reported health as 'good' or 'very good' was also high at 85%.

 

What has happened as a result?

 

Richmond's scores are positive overall and residents have said that they are very satisfied with the area as a place to live. The findings from the survey are fed into Council and partner priorities and influence the delivery and design of services.

 

We have been taking appropriate action to improve performance in areas where scores were not as high as we'd like. For example, to improve feelings of influence in local decision making amongst residents, an online Consultation Finder was developed and launched in 2010.  The Finder has been designed to open up access to Council consultations and raise awareness of opportunities for the public to get involved and how their input makes a difference.