Published on:
17
September 2015
Clackmannanshire is a good place to live according to 93% of people surveyed as part of the Clackmannanshire Citizens' Panel.
The findings are part of the annual survey of panel members carried out on behalf of the Clackmannanshire Alliance, which covers areas including public services, community safety and employment and training opportunities.
The vast majority of panel members are also satisfied with the way that public services are delivered, with 94% rating their experience as either very good or fairly good, steadily increasing from 62% in 2007. Services which scored highest included refuse collection (95%) and libraries at 95%.
A very high proportion of panel members feel safe (99%) walking in their neighbourhood during the day, with only 12% saying that they were fearful of becoming a victim of crime, a reduction from last year's figure of 18%. 88% of residents feel safe at night up from 84% in 2014.
Significantly, of fourteen indicators which were measured in 2014, eleven have seen an improvement in public perception. The most notable improvements include:
- Clackmannanshire is a great place to work - up from 42% in 2014 to 51% in 2015
- Clackmannanshire is a cost effective business location - up from 40% to 49%
- There are attractive places to visit and things to do - up from 75% to 82%
Overall, the survey showed closer results between those living in regeneration areas and those in wider Clackmannanshire with trends suggesting that the gap is closing in Clackmannanshire across a number of indicators.
The survey also shows that panel members' attitudes to their current health and well being continue to be very positive, with the vast majority - 93% - describing their health as good or fairly good.
Almost three quarters of panel members have visited the Ochil Hills/Hillfoots (71%) while 67% have visited open, natural spaces in Clackmannanshire over the last year. Satisfaction with outdoor spaces remains high with access to good walking networks (94%), good cycling networks (80%) and access to nature and open spaces (92%).
Council Leader Cllr Les Sharp said: "In this challenging financial climate, it is more important than ever that the Council and our partners ask our communities for their views on life in Clackmannnanshire. It is heartening to see that so many of our residents think this is a good place to live, and are satisfied with the way that public services are being delivered. The survey is of course Clackmannanshire based, however we've been advised that it compares very favourable with surveys in other Council areas.
"While there are many impressive results, we are not complacent about some of the more challenging responses. For example, I note that 48% of the panel said that the area does not have good job prospects, and I would reassure our communities that that all partners in the Clackmannanshire Alliance and beyond will be looking at all these issues to see what action can be taken to make improvements."
The panel now stands at 1,258 members, with 431 in the regeneration areas and 827 in the rest of Clackmannanshire. Full details of the results can be viewed on ClacksWeb.