People's Voice - Waste Management, Disability Equality Scheme, Open Spaces & Parks and Leisure Services

This provides the key findings from the People’s Voice questionnaire undertaken between August and September 2006. In total 517 questionnaires were returned yielding a 68% response rate and the key findings outlined below.

The research set out to seek the views and attitudes of local residents towards Waste Managment Services, Disability Equality Scheme, Open Spaces & Parks, Leisure Services and Your Views on Wrexham County Borough Council.

Waste management services

Two in five respondents describe refuse collection as fairly good (42%) with a further 45% describing it as very good. The quality of street cleaning and waste recycling is perceived to be slightly less than refuse collection, but three in five respondents (61%) still described these services as either fairly or very good.

Respondents are also highly satisfied with all aspects of the Council waste collection service.  Respondents cite the reliability of the service as most satisfactory with nearly nine in ten (89%) respondents describing themselves as either very or fairly satisfied.

Satisfaction is high for all aspects of the recycling services provided by the Council. The cleanliness and servicing of the sites is most satisfactory aspect with 70% of respondents either fairly or very satisfied. The weakest aspect of the recycling service appears to be the accessibility of the facilities, with which 14% are fairly dissatisfied and a further 7% are very dissatisfied.

Disability Equality Scheme

One quarter of all respondents (25%) state that they have a long standing illness or disability. Of those who cite a disability or illness, over four in five state that their illness or disability limits their activities in some way.

One in five (20%) have felt discriminated against or unfairly treated. Approaching one quarter of disabled people of a working age (23%) state they have experienced discrimination or unfair treatment, nearly twice as many as those of a non-working age (13%). 

All residents with a disability or a long term illness were also asked whether they felt involved in local decision making. The most frequent response was that respondents were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied which was cited by two in five (42%). Of those who did not express a neutral opinion, more people are very or fairly satisfied (32%) than dissatisfied (18%).

The services that most successfully meet the needs of disabled respondents are doctor’s surgeries, which nearly three quarters of respondents (72%) say fully meet their needs. There was also high endorsement of local pharmacies (70%) and local opticians (65%) as services that fully meet respondents’ needs. The services that respondents state do not meet their needs at all are dentists (25% of respondents), Council housing (22%) and social services (19%).

Open Spaces & Parks

Overall only one in ten respondents (10%) feel that parks and open spaces are fairly or very poor. Conversely nearly half of respondents state they are fairly good and a further 17% cite them as very good.

Parks and open spaces are used frequently by disabled respondents and 56% of this group state that parks and open spaces are very good or fairly good. However, the equivalent figure for those without a disability is significantly higher at 64%.

Parks and open spaces are the most frequently used Council facility as over one in ten respondents (13%) use them almost every day, and a further quarter use them at least once a week (27%).

Overall the use of play areas provided by Wrexham County Borough Council is much lower than other parks and open spaces, with 28% having used them.

Leisure Services

Four out of five residents (83%) have used Council sports and leisure facilities and overall, approaching three out of five people (58%) have used them within the last year.

Only one in ten women (11%) have never used a Council sports/ leisure facility compared to 20% of men, suggesting that males could be a key target group in any attempts to increase the frequency of use of these facilities.

Views on the Council

All respondents were asked how satisfied or dissatisfied they are with the way the Council runs things. Half of all respondents are very satisfied and a further 7% are very satisfied.  Nearly one quarter (22%) are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, leaving just 19% who are either very or fairly dissatisfied.

Two in five (43%) people state the Council are doing a good job while 37% believe the Council is making the area a better place to live.

For more information contact:
Assistant Policy Officer
Telephone: 01978 292176
Email: statistics@wrexham.gov.uk