Positive residents

Thursday April 30, 2009

Better services and lower tax are boosting residents’ satisfaction with H&F Council.

Overall satisfaction with the council is up to 59 per cent – from 53 per cent in 2005/06. H&F is now ranked in an elite band of five London councils, compared to 15th three years ago.

Residents’ satisfaction continues to rise in Hammersmith & Fulham, according to the Government’s Place Survey, while satisfaction with other London boroughs has fallen by around 5 per cent.

The news means H&F is towards the top of the league table with the most satisfied residents.

In a double boost, figures from the past three years show that H&F has also cut tax more than any of the other 411 public sector bodies in Britain. Three per cent cuts to council tax for each of the past three years equates to a total fall of 8.73%.

Council Leader, Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, says, “Hammersmith & Fulham is a rising star in the local government world and many other local authorities are now looking to us to see why our residents are getting happier.”

The survey shows that the three per cent council tax cuts have proved popular with the council now rated at the fifth best for delivering value for money, compared with 23rd three years ago.

Cllr Greenhalgh continues: “We have been home to the biggest council tax cut in Britain for three years running and now residents are telling us that they are happier than ever with the services we provide.”

Since 2006 there has been a 10 per cent increase in the number of people who say they are satisfied with Hammersmith & Fulham as a place to live. The survey follows a list of questions, as set by the Government, which focus on the perception of a local area and of local public services.  Mori conducted the postal survey between September and November 2008. More than 50,000 responses from across London were received by Mori.

Cllr Greenhalgh concludes: “I know that government auditors have already given us the highest rating possible for our services but I am more interested in what residents think. The fact that the people who pay for and use local services say they are better is more encouraging than anything else.”

Key findings at a glance:

• 72% agree that local public services are working to make the area safer, compared with 59% in 2005. 

• 49% say they feel safe going out at night and 88% feel safe going out during the day. 

• Satisfaction with refuse collection has improved from 70% to 73%.

• Parks – improvement from 67% satisfaction to 70%.

• 79% agree that people from different backgrounds get on well together, compared with 75% in 2005 and a London average of 76%. 

• 63% are satisfied with their GP. 

• 60% satisfied with their local hospital – the London average is 56%.