THE people of Edinburgh say they like their diverse city, but around half of them are not happy with the cleanliness of the streets or the state of the roads and pavements. The City of Edinburgh Council’s annual People Survey, which is the largest of its kind in the UK, found 94 per cent of the 5226 respondents are satisfied with the city as a place to live, while two thirds said they are happy with the way the council manages the city.
A consistent theme in Edinburgh surveys has been poor cleanliness and potholes, and the headline results show continuing dissatisfaction.
The survey stated: “Since the introduction of fortnightly managed collections, satisfaction with refuse collections has been on a downward trend and decreased since 2015 by eight per cent to 65 per cent.
“Satisfaction with recycling has remained relatively high at 69 per cent (down by three per cent). Satisfaction with the management of dog fouling improved by three per cent but remains low at 47 per cent. Satisfaction with road, pavement and footpaths maintenance has stayed low at 49 per cent and 53 per cent respectively.”
Survey participants did report feeling secure in their communities – around three quarters don’t believe vandalism, anti-social behaviour or alcohol-related disorder to be a problem, while 85 per cent feel safe after dark.
Feedback showed an increased perception of diversity and inclusiveness too, with 86 per cent agreeing their neighbourhood is a place where people of different backgrounds get along – up from 81 per cent in 2014 – and 94 per cent agreeing Edinburgh is welcoming and accessible to people of all ages.
Council leader Andrew Burns said: “There is a lot to be pleased about in this year’s Edinburgh People Survey results – despite an increasingly challenging financial climate and demand for services, we continue to see a high level of satisfaction with life in the capital. What’s also clear is that people feel safe, welcome and included in their local communities, regardless of their background, which certainly adds to the quality of life here. While we are encouraged by positive feedback, the survey has allowed us to take stock of the areas the public feel we need to improve too, and this will help inform our priorities moving forward.”
Depute council leader Frank Ross added: “Every year the Edinburgh People Survey gives us an insight into what the public feel we are doing right, and the things they want us to do better. It’s great to see such high satisfaction this year with services like public transport, parks and our calendar of cultural events, but we also acknowledge the areas that scored lower, and intend to act on these concerns.”
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