Most Nottingham residents continue to be satisfied with the way the City Council runs things and an increasing percentage of people believe the Council provides value for money, according to latest research.

The Citizens Survey 2014 showed overall satisfaction with the Council is at 73%, up one percent on 2013, while 65% agree that the Council provides value for money, up 8% on 2013.

Satisfaction with the cleanliness of the city centre is up 2% to 82% with 75% of people satisfied with cleanliness in their local area, also up slightly on last year.

The number of people who speak highly about Nottingham has increased from 72% to 79%.

Other headline findings include:

· 90% feel that their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together.

· 74% of respondents who had recently contacted the Council were satisfied with the way their most recent enquiry was dealt with

· 89% of respondents find Council information easy to understand

· 78% of respondents feel well informed about Council services and benefits

· 31% struggling or not keeping up with bills

· 31% want a job, more work or better work

On the health front, the percentage of people who smoke has fallen slightly from 28% in 2013 to 27% last year though remains well above the national average of 18%. A total of 54% drink alcohol down from 62% in 2013.

City Council Leader, Councillor Jon Collins, said: “Satisfaction with Council services remains at a high level, especially when you consider it has increased from just over 50% back in 2008 to 73% in 2014.

“And in the year that Nottingham was named Britain’s cleanest city, it’s good to see most people continue to be satisfied with the cleanliness of their local area and the city centre.

“Council staff take great pride in the services they provide and these figures reflect the hard work they continue to put in. This is against a backdrop of continuing cuts in the grant the Council receives for its services from the Government.

“There’s clearly more work to do and we will never be complacent about how well we are serving local people.”

The Nottingham Citizens’ Survey gathers citizens’ perceptions on a variety of subjects including quality of life, health and wellbeing, community cohesion, feelings about Nottingham and satisfaction with the Council.

The full Citizens Survey report can be viewed online at https://www.nottinghaminsight.org.uk/insight/library/citizens-survey.aspx

To take part in other Council surveys and consultations, go to https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/consultation