Cheltenham is a great place to live, if you can afford to live in the town, an independent survey suggests.
Nine out of ten people are satisfied with the spa town as a place to live. However, 76% of residents felt there was a need for more affordable homes to buy and rent.
Cheltenham Borough Council commissioned the survey which was carried out this autumn by independent market research agency Enventure.
It was conducted by telephone, face to face and online across all Cheltenham wards and received 1,346 responses, which means accuracy of +/-2.9% at 95% confidence.
The council says it was designed to reveal residents’ perceptions of living in the town, their view of local issues and their level of satisfaction with the council to help inform the new council plan assisting with measuring progress and future decision making.
The results shows that overall, 90% of Cheltenham residents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live.
This is a 6% increase when compared to the 2019 results and 9% higher than the Local Government Association (LGA) national polling at 81%; and 89% of residents would recommend Cheltenham as a place to live and 80% of residents felt Cheltenham has a positive future.
Council leader Rowena Hay (LD, Oakley) thanked everyone who took part in the survey and highlighted the council’s £180m investment in Cheltenham Borough Homes to increase its supply of affordable housing.
“I’m especially pleased to see the increase in people’s satisfaction with being a Cheltenham resident and that the majority feel the town has a positive future. Sharing valuable insights and viewpoints with us, helps inform our priorities when making plans, decisions and how we should monitor performance.
‘’The council are proud custodians of Cheltenham and we aim to improve satisfaction levels ensuring residents, communities and businesses benefit from Cheltenham’s future growth and prosperity, build on our successes and investments like the Golden Valley Development, our £180m housing investment plan and ensure a legacy of sustainability for future generations.’’
Further results show that 88% of residents are satisfied with Cheltenham’s award winning parks and open spaces; 83% of residents are satisfied with household waste collections and 81% are satisfied with household recycling collections, with 72% of residents satisfied with the cleanliness of the streets in their local area.
The survey also says 80% of residents felt Cheltenham has a positive future and 78% of residents felt Cheltenham has a vibrant culture and is an exciting place to live.
Of the local people who were aware of the Golden Valley Development, 75% of residents felt it will be positive for the local economy.
The council says it is directly addressing a number of common themes raised in the survey such as the lack of affordable housing and concerns over safety at night in Cheltenham.
76% of residents felt there was a need for more affordable homes to buy and rent. The authority has allocated up to £180m funding for Cheltenham Borough Homes to increase its supply of affordable housing.
Satisfaction with safety during the day is 87% but this drops to 44% after dark. The council continues to work closely with Cheltenham’s Night Time Economy businesses and has again been awarded a Purple Flag for the sixth consecutive year for its appealing, safe and welcoming evening and night time offer.
Only 44% of residents felt they have the opportunity to grow their career in Cheltenham. There is room for improvement around opportunities for young people and growing careers.
While 61% of residents were satisfied with the range of shops available, 88% were satisfied with the range of events in Cheltenham.
Residents were also asked to state one thing they feel the council should do to improve Cheltenham.
28% of people say they want better roads andpath maintenance (this is the responsibility of Gloucestershire County Council and not Cheltenham Borough Council).
Regeneration of the High Street is another concern with 18% suggesting High Street regeneration and encouraging businesses is needed.
The council says it will share the results and insights will be shared with other organisations the council works closely with such as Gloucestershire County Council, Cheltenham BID, GFirstLep, UBICO, Chamber of Commerce, Parish Councils, Cheltenham Police, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and others.
The results will be fed into the development of the council’s new priorities for Cheltenham that will be presented to full council in February 2023.
By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter