An impressive 93 per cent of people in Nottingham feel neighbours of different backgrounds get on well together, according to research – the highest figure in a decade.
City Council Leader, Councillor David Mellen, said the result was ‘hugely heartening’ given the global picture at present, and something ‘we should all be very proud of’.
The finding is part of the council’s Citizens Survey 2019, which shows that Nottingham City Council continues to have higher levels of public satisfaction and offers better value for money than others around the country.
Overall satisfaction with the authority stands at 67 per cent, up from 65 per cent in 2018, according to the survey.
Despite significant pressure on budgets and continued reduced funding from Central Government, 61 per cent of people feel the council offers value for money, up from 56 per cent in 2018 and significantly higher than the national average.
More than 2,000 people were surveyed in November 2019 across the city and gave their views on a number of areas.
A total of 85 per cent said they were satisfied with their local area, up from 83 per cent in 2018.
Respondents felt the council kept them well informed of what was happening in their city (73 per cent satisfied against a national average of 59 per cent). Compared with other councils from across the country, the authority also scored higher on:
- Satisfaction as a place to live (85 per cent v 83 per cent)
- Satisfaction with the way the council runs things (67 per cent v 63 per cent)
- Agreement that the council provides value for money (61 per cent v 49 per cent).
When contacting the council, 92 per cent of people felt their query was handled in a polite manner; 71 per cent said the person who dealt with it did what they promised; and 66 per cent believed it was handled in a reasonable timeframe.
Meanwhile, satisfaction with cleanliness remained the same, with 70 per cent of people happy with the condition of the city centre and 65 per cent with their local area.
Councillor David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “It’s hugely heartening to see such positive feedback on how well communities of different backgrounds get along with each other. We know that is the case here but, given the global picture at present, we should all be very proud of that.
“We feel it is vitally important to hear back from the public – positive or otherwise – to help us allocate resources effectively. We will always listen to what people have to say.
“I’m really pleased to see that overall satisfaction with the council remains high because things have been extremely difficult in recent times, with a decade of Government austerity and significant reductions every year to our operating budget.”
Councillor Rebecca Langton, Portfolio Holder for Communities, added: “I see first-hand in my role the importance of our neighbourhoods, their cultural identities and the people who live and work within them. Together, they make Nottingham the wonderful, vibrant, diverse and tolerant city that we know it is.
“We also have very hard-working staff – many from these same Nottingham communities themselves – who take great pride in the services they provide. The survey findings reflect their efforts despite swingeing Government cuts. However, we will never be complacent about how well we are serving local people, but we’re building on a strong foundation.”
Councillor Eunice Campbell, Portfolio Holder for Equalities, said: “Never has the need been greater for people from all backgrounds to unite. The images we’re seeing over in America are hugely concerning, but here in Nottingham the message is clear – we stand together.
“It makes me proud to hear that such a high proportion of people in the city believe our diverse communities get along so well.”
The Nottingham Citizens’ Survey gathers perceptions of a variety of subjects including quality of life, health and well-being, community cohesion, feelings about Nottingham and satisfaction with the council.
The survey can be read here:
https://www.nottinghaminsight.org.uk/research-areas/citizens-survey/