Most residents are satisfied with their neighbourhoods
Most residents in Warwickshire are satisfied with the area they live in, but want more of a say in decisions affecting their neighbourhoods.
That’s the feedback from just over 1,000 residents recently consulted by Warwickshire County Council on how the council can best engage with local people on community issues.
The Citizens’ Panel survey covered questions on the local community and local decision-making.
The council consults with a Citizens’ Panel made up of residents that are representative of Warwickshire as a whole approximately four times a year, normally by post. The aim is to find out how well the council is doing – and what needs to be improved.
Overall, 85% of respondents said they were satisfied with their local neighbourhood, including 41% who were very satisfied. Only 9% said they were either very dissatisfied (2%) or fairly dissatisfied (7%).
Citizens Panel members were also asked to think about their influence on decisions affecting their local neighbourhood. Around 44% agreed that they would like to be more involved in decisions by the county council, but almost half of respondents felt it would depend upon the issue.
Panel members in Warwick district and North Warwickshire were the most satisfied with their local neighbourhoods (90% were either very or fairly satisfied in each region). 85% of panel members from Stratford-upon-Avon were satisfied with their neighbourhood, closely followed by Nuneaton & Bedworth (79%) and Rugby (77%).
Louise Richards, Corporate Consultation Officer at Warwickshire County Council, said: “We had a very good response to the survey. The Citizens’ Panel feedback is very important to us and we really value those who take part. We’d like to thank everyone who took the time to tell us what they think.”
Warwickshire County Council offers a range of opportunities for residents to participate in decision making, including Citizens’ Panels, forums for older and younger people and consultation exercises.
Area Committee meetings are held at least every two months and include a ‘public question time’, where you can ask questions or raise concerns about county council issues (questions must be forwarded to the area committee in advance). For more information on your local Area Committee, click on ‘Council and Community’.
To find out more about Warwickshire County Council’s public consultations and ‘have your say’, follow the link below.