Council takes action on residents' priorities
Gateshead Council is acting on the public's priorities which have been set out in the results of our residents' survey.
The survey, conducted from May to July, found that resident satisfaction with the council had gone down. A fifth of residents said they were satisfied with how the council runs things.
More than 3,000 people took the time to complete the survey, which identified community safety, clean streets and the quality of our roads as the top issues concerning residents. These issues are the same as those that have been identified by the council, which led earlier this year to significant investment by Gateshead Council to make tangible improvements.
Those residents who expressed an opinion were satisfied with waste and recycling services, our libraries and our green spaces, and more than half were satisfied their local area as a place to live, with two-thirds having a sense of belonging.
Gateshead Council Leader Councillor Martin Gannon said:
"I'd like to thank all the residents who took the time to complete this survey. It's so important that we listen to what the people we serve have to say about the quality of our services.
"There's a clear message from this survey - we need to do better. And I've got a clear message for our residents - we hear you. We know Gateshead people, so these results didn't contain any real surprises. The feedback confirms that that we're on the right track for making things better for you.
"That's why we're investing in people and equipment to help keep our streets clean, that's why we're filling more potholes than ever before, and that's why we're working closer than ever with our partners and local people to keep our communities safe.
"The unpalatable truth is that Gateshead Council's ability to do its job effectively has been damaged by years and years of huge cuts and sadly that is reflected in satisfaction levels going down. Whilst that situation is now slowly improving, with some additional investment from central government, it will take time to undo the damage that those cuts inflicted on us."
Earlier this year, before the survey was conducted, the council's cabinet agreed significant investment in environmental services to tackle anti-social behaviour such as graffiti and keep the streets clean. We've also taken advantage of new technologies to get jobs, such as stripping grass and filling potholes, done more quickly. For example, we carry out 5000 road repairs.
We're also working closely in partnership with stakeholders including the police to help make Gateshead safer. We've been using our powers to prosecute people for fly tipping and our police colleagues have put more officers on the beat. And it's paying off - across the borough, we've seen a reduction in violent crime, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime.
Councillor Gannon added:
"Of course we can quote the statistics until the cows come home, but what I really want for Gateshead people is for them to feel safer, feel the streets are cleaner and feel that we are listening to them.
"I do believe that residents are starting to feel those improvements we've been making on those issues that matter to them. There's much more to do but Gateshead people can be confident that your concerns are our concerns, and we're determined to continue to make things better."
Key stats from the survey include:
Sense of place
- 51% of residents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live
- 65% of residents had a sense of belonging in their local area
- 77% were satisfied with their home as a place to live.
- 61% of residents felt their local area was a place where people from different backgrounds got on together.
- However, 58% felt their area had got worse over the past year.
Views of the council
- 21% of residents were satisfied with the way Gateshead Council runs things
- 18% felt the council provided value for money
- 18% felt the council responded to the concerns of residents
- 34% of residents felt informed about the council's work
Resident priorities
Residents identified the following areas as their top priorities:
- Levels of anti-social behaviour (54%)
- Clean streets (49%)
- Roads and pavements (37%)
- Levels of crime (34%)
- Grass cutting and weeding (26%)
Gateshead Council is acting on the public's priorities which have been set out in the results of our residents' survey.
The survey, conducted from May to July, found that resident satisfaction with the council had gone down. A fifth of residents said they were satisfied with how the council runs things.
More than 3,000 people took the time to complete the survey, which identified community safety, clean streets and the quality of our roads as the top issues concerning residents. These issues are the same as those that have been identified by the council, which led earlier this year to significant investment by Gateshead Council to make tangible improvements.
Those residents who expressed an opinion were satisfied with waste and recycling services, our libraries and our green spaces, and more than half were satisfied their local area as a place to live, with two-thirds having a sense of belonging.
Gateshead Council Leader Councillor Martin Gannon said:
"I'd like to thank all the residents who took the time to complete this survey. It's so important that we listen to what the people we serve have to say about the quality of our services.
"There's a clear message from this survey - we need to do better. And I've got a clear message for our residents - we hear you. We know Gateshead people, so these results didn't contain any real surprises. The feedback confirms that that we're on the right track for making things better for you.
"That's why we're investing in people and equipment to help keep our streets clean, that's why we're filling more potholes than ever before, and that's why we're working closer than ever with our partners and local people to keep our communities safe.
"The unpalatable truth is that Gateshead Council's ability to do its job effectively has been damaged by years and years of huge cuts and sadly that is reflected in satisfaction levels going down. Whilst that situation is now slowly improving, with some additional investment from central government, it will take time to undo the damage that those cuts inflicted on us."
Earlier this year, before the survey was conducted, the council's cabinet agreed significant investment in environmental services to tackle anti-social behaviour such as graffiti and keep the streets clean. We've also taken advantage of new technologies to get jobs, such as stripping grass and filling potholes, done more quickly. For example, we carry out 5000 road repairs.
We're also working closely in partnership with stakeholders including the police to help make Gateshead safer. We've been using our powers to prosecute people for fly tipping and our police colleagues have put more officers on the beat. And it's paying off - across the borough, we've seen a reduction in violent crime, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime.
Councillor Gannon added:
"Of course we can quote the statistics until the cows come home, but what I really want for Gateshead people is for them to feel safer, feel the streets are cleaner and feel that we are listening to them.
"I do believe that residents are starting to feel those improvements we've been making on those issues that matter to them. There's much more to do but Gateshead people can be confident that your concerns are our concerns, and we're determined to continue to make things better."
Key stats from the survey include:
Sense of place
- 51% of residents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live
- 65% of residents had a sense of belonging in their local area
- 77% were satisfied with their home as a place to live.
- 61% of residents felt their local area was a place where people from different backgrounds got on together.
- However, 58% felt their area had got worse over the past year.
Views of the council
- 21% of residents were satisfied with the way Gateshead Council runs things
- 18% felt the council provided value for money
- 18% felt the council responded to the concerns of residents
- 34% of residents felt informed about the council's work
Resident priorities
Residents identified the following areas as their top priorities:
- Levels of anti-social behaviour (54%)
- Clean streets (49%)
- Roads and pavements (37%)
- Levels of crime (34%)
- Grass cutting and weeding (26%)
