Fixing potholes and improving local roads should be the top priority of local authorities, according to a survey that also highlighted the need to improve adult social care services.
The survey undertaken by outsourcing firm May Gurney found that 41% of 2,038 British adults polled by ICM said roads were the local service most in need of improvement. The figure rises to more than half – 53% – among residents aged over 65.The day before the government publishes its draft bill on reforms to adult social care, the survey also revealed services for the elderly are a real concern. Around one-third of local taxpayers said this was the area they felt was most in need of improvement, a figure that rose to 47% for people over 65.
Around a quarter of all those surveyed said that hospital and medical facilities need to be improved, with almost the same proportion agreeing there is a need for cleaner streets.
Respondents were most happy with town halls’ parks and gardens services, with only 12% saying that they needed improving. This fell to just 7% for the over-65s.
May Gurney’s managing director for public sector services, John Wilkinson, said local public services like council-run parks or libraries ‘can all have a significant impact on the way people perceive their immediate surroundings’.
He added: ‘However, it is also important to note that many residents feel there is room for improvement in local services and how they are delivered. If we are to better serve council taxpayers and improve the services they pay for, it is important we take notice of their perceptions and listen to what they have to say.’
