Council residents survey scrapped

10 Aug 10
Local authorities will no longer have to carry out an extensive survey of residents this autumn, local government minister Grant Shapps has announced today

By Vivienne Russell

10 August 2010

Local authorities will no longer have to carry out an extensive survey of residents this autumn, local government minister GrantShapps has announced today.

The Place Survey, introduced in 2008, is a postal survey involving more than 500,000 residents and had been conducted by every council in England. The Departmentfor Communities and Local Government estimated its running costs at more than £5m.

Fieldwork for the survey was due to begin next month, but Shapps said the cash could be better spent on frontline services.

He said: ‘These surveys are a cosmetic exercise that never changes anything. Let’s give real power back to the people – such as letting taxpayers veto high council tax rises.’

Results from the Place Survey informed the National Indicator set. It attempted to gauge citizens’ perceptions about local issues, including levels of anti-social behaviour, volunteering and community cohesion.

Councils’ performance against the National Indicator set informed their ComprehensiveArea Assessment.

Councils welcomed the decision. Colin Barrow, leader of Westminster City Council, said: 'The Place Survey cost £15,000 to implement in Westminster - money we think is far better spent on front line services - especially as budgets are under increasing pressure.
 
'Getting rid of it is a step in the right direction to free town halls from Whitehall diktats and seemingly endless red tape.'

Ray Puddifoot, leader of the London Borough of Hillingdon, added: 'We have always put our residents' views above all others and welcome the move to scrap the Place Survey. Local authorities should be working with their residents to ensure they are providing services that meet their needs and expectations, not Whitehall's.'

Following the abolition of CAA by the coalition government, the Local GovernmentAssociation called for the Place Survey to be suspended.

Commenting on today's announcement, LGA vice chair Richard Kemp said: 'It is good news that the government has decided that the Place Survey will not now go ahead. It means councils will be free from yet another layer of unnecessary bureaucracy and more able to get on with the important business of providing services to residents.
 
'The declared aim of these, and all, official statistics is to meet user need. The LGA understands that for many councils this was not the case. In cases where the Place Survey was not providing useful information, authorities were therefore spending money on a survey they would not use.

'Councils spend millions of pounds each year collecting data for government departments and regulators. This money would be better spent protecting vital frontline services on which people depend, especially as budgets are now under increasing pressure'

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