Give Your View On Merton Council

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Time for the annual residents' survey

Merton Council will begin a borough-wide survey asking residents for their views on the council and its services on Monday September 9.

The Annual Residents' Survey is based on face-to-face interviews with 1,000 local people across the borough.

Undertaken by an independent research company and taking place from September to October, the survey focuses on areas of personal concern, satisfaction towards the council and its services, and overall perception of the council. The council has been running the survey annually for over ten years.

In last year's survey a record number of residents reported that the council is good value for money.

There was also a big increase in satisfaction with the council's recycling facilities, where local residents rated the service as being well above the London-wide average, with similar success being achieved for Merton’s parks, playgrounds and open spaces.

But satisfaction with policing in the borough dropped significantly last year since 2011, with 56% saying it is an area in which Merton performs well - a fall from last year's 63%.

The 2012 survey showed crime continued to be the top personal concern for residents, followed by council tax, traffic, litter and jobs.

Young people will be involved in the latest survey too, with questions specifically for those aged 11-17. These questions cover young people’s involvement in local matters, satisfaction with council services and their personal concerns.

Cabinet member for performance and implementation, Councillor Mark Betteridge said: "The views of our residents are extremely important to us. The Annual Residents' Survey is a very useful way of listening to what local people have to say and we look forward to hearing all about life in Merton."

September 5, 2013