Harlow Council roll out major survey to hear residents views on improving services
Communities / Tue 11th Jul 2023 at 01:07pm
HARLOW Council has employed research company Yonder Data Solutions to find out residents’ views on the council and its priorities for the town as part of the council’s priority to improve council services.
The company, which has carried out resident polls for the Local Government Association and surveys for other councils, is interviewing residents by telephone. Researchers will never ask for bank details or personal information such as names or addresses.
Councillor Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Council, said: “One of our five priorities is to improve council services and that’s why we’re asking hundreds of residents for their views in this comprehensive residents’ survey. This is the first of its type in Harlow and I am very encouraged by the number of residents that have given their views already in this independent telephone survey.
“I strongly encourage any resident that is contacted to give their honest views which will enable us to improve council services and deliver on your priorities. This is your chance to truly have your say and your feedback will be at the heart of our new plan (Corporate Strategy) which is being developed this year. The recent Local Government Association corporate peer challenge made clear that Harlow Council has not done well enough in listening to your views and that is why we are taking this comprehensive action now for you to truly have your say.
“This is the start of our work to transform the way we engage with residents, and we will be carrying out further consultation on our new plan during the summer and autumn so every resident and business who wants a say can have one.”
The telephone survey includes several questions which are used nationally to compare performance between councils. The survey will find out:
- Satisfaction with the local area as a place to live
- Satisfaction with the way the council runs things
- Views on value for money
- How well informed the council keeps residents
- Community safety
- Trust in the council
- Satisfaction with individual services
The survey will also find out more about:
- What communication methods residents use and their preferred methods
- What information residents want and readership of the council’s magazine Harlow Times
- How supportive residents are of additional housing in and around Harlow
- Views on our priorities and what else is important to residents
gary roberts
2023-07-11 14:46:38
A telephone consultation? That is not a proper form of consultation for a council who claim they want to know the views of residents' on their announced pledges. It is the cheap version that many councils' have used for it to fulfill an obligation in their corporate plans only to be filed within weeks of submission. A serious consultation would be by council wards or neighbourhoods with proper and relevant information where residents are informed of the dates and times for consultation meetings. It wont be cheap but it will deliver the results that the council may not like but will contribute to telling the council how to improve these local areas. Will the current leader of the council do that? No chance because he has already decided what he will do. The "plans" apparently are already being prepared for Potter Street as he recently intimated to me. Any consultation on their drafting? No.
Phil
2023-07-11 14:56:43
A telephone survey alone doesn't sound like the most effective way of doing this. Should be primarily online.
Cliff Phillips
2023-07-11 15:24:15
I was contacted re Harlow survey earlier today. To me it sounded like another scam. They couldn't even tell me who they wanted to talk to. I told to send me a letter if it's not a scam. He said they don't send out letters. I hung up. I'm probably not the only one. How can they expect a fair survey using this method. I have already completed an on line survey from Harlow DC. I do not answer questions over the phone. Far to risky.
Bruce Downey
2023-07-11 16:09:40
A telephone survey is quite common, and is better than no survey.🤔
Clive Morris
2023-07-11 16:21:39
I can't understand Harlow Council having new doors put in a whole tower blocks in Harlow and they're not putting one in the kitchen which is supposed to be a fire door very weird
Grace James
2023-07-11 17:18:34
Harlow Council are not interested in everyone's views - only if you are 18-54. Does that mean the views of young people and older people (55 is not exactly old!) are not important to them?
gary roberts
2023-07-11 17:40:10
I forgot to mention the very important issue of data protection rules that the council must follow. Giving out telephone numbers is a breach if consent was not given by the residents: isn't it?
Nicholas Taylor
2023-07-11 17:40:20
The Council have a Community Engagement Strategy, which they continue to fail to abide to. They should be taking this survey to the many Resident Associations around the town to discuss face to face with residents, the U3A, Leaseholders Group and using the Council's own public notice boards to advertise where forms can be collected from.
Dan Swords
2023-07-11 17:54:28
Hi Gary and Nich, A tour of the town is currently being planned in the Autumn in which I will attend RAs, public meetings, and all other such groups for this very purpose. Further details will be published shortly.
Heather Adams
2023-07-11 18:45:36
Had this phone call yesterday out of the blue. Thought it was a scammer so told them to send a letter and then hung up. I think this is going to be the response of many residents. Why didn’t they advertise this in the quarterly Harlow News they send out to prepare residents. I think a written survey sent through the post would be more successful.
Reg
2023-07-11 18:50:47
Sounds like the should have conducted a survey on the best method of conducting a survey
Terry limby
2023-07-11 20:50:58
Harlow council are a disgrace , they want just just shy of 10 grand for fire prevention work currently being done at willowfield tower, yet our elevator has,nt worked for 5 months!
NickL
2023-07-12 04:06:28
Like others, I had a survey call yesterday and thouht it was yet another scam. No answers were given.
Zulqar Cheema
2023-07-12 07:16:20
That's more than we got at wedheys, we just got a piece of paper, then a £46k bill. It was done dusted before any consultation started, properly like this one will be
Bruce Downey
2023-07-12 07:23:33
Now it’s all over social media and word of mouth, the calls now will be answered and survey completed. Sorted.
Not my King
2023-07-12 07:42:41
Harlow Clowncil eh? Phone them = They lie. Email = they wont respond as cannot lie. Attend Civic Centre = Advised to phone them. Five years of waiting for repairs. Risible.
Kim Oconnor
2023-07-12 09:09:10
The people want to ask the question s, ,not the other way round,,, Lots of people will be placing the phone down,thinking its a scam. Just another means, of this council trying to control. Dear oh dear, proper consultation, where people can speak freely, and not just for 3 minutes..
Kim Oconnor
2023-07-12 09:13:14
Bruce Downey, calls won't be answered, because people will be putting phone down..
Novoman
2023-07-12 09:24:37
Do the bloody obvious! This is just an attempt at PR to delay getting on with doing the basics (clear overgrown footpaths, empty the bins, take all domestic rubbish rather than taking measures take encourage fly tipping, fix homes, pavements and pot holes etc etc) whilst they actually backing plans to wreck the environment and ecology of the town. All fur coat .....
Eddie
2023-07-12 09:26:14
A telephone survey is wrong I consider myself very careful in communicating on the phone anyone can say who they are also anyone can put what they like to your answers .and also online surveys will only get the younger members of society who are even on the basic level tech savvy but people especially the older generations who are effected by this currupt money grabbing council would prefer an independent postal survey this is supported by the increase of postal election ballot requests .also a postal survey would allow more in-depth answers and questions for example why is the council not following ofgem pricecaps in regards their communal heating charges (which effects the elderly and disabled more) also to the lack of maintenance of the footpath/cycle paths in Harlow not to mention the neighbourhood roads
Nicholas Taylor
2023-07-12 10:53:53
Anyone taken a call and can give a brief outline of the questions asked?
Keith H
2023-07-12 11:28:29
Why do these people always assume that residents have phones (landline or mobile) or internet?. This leaves a lot of residents out of the equation and is not a representative survey.
Johnboy
2023-07-12 12:06:48
Lots of obvious answers above. I received a call sometime ago, thought it was a scam as I said I don't answer questions to random callers. Didn't know it was an organised survey by the Council. Plus I am ex-directory, who gave them my number. A survey with proposed questions would let you give a thoughtful constructive response rather than a rushed answer on the phone.
Ian McNaught
2023-07-12 13:32:10
I agree with Johnboy and others I to received a call about a week ago , I thought it was a scam and when I asked how they got my phone number it was a non committal answer. Hence to say I gave very weary answers.
Ken Johnston
2023-07-12 14:36:21
Get a grip harlow council, thereare endless things wrong in this town. Repairs , potholes,ongoing wait for phones to be answered, no market, shops closing , no town shows , bandstand in town park hardly used, and more. This town council should be ashamed compared to others. Wake up !!
old harlow vigilante
2023-07-12 17:44:09
what a bloody joke.all time wasters sack all the managent and start again.all our councillors are ok when taking back handers but do jack shit when not
John
2023-07-12 19:03:11
Come round to Tilbury Mead and you will see the biggest trees ever !!. Are they interested ?? Nope. Contacted them so many times. Absolute waste of time.
Nicholas Taylor
2023-07-12 23:04:46
John, members of the Harlow Alliance Party continue to ask Councillors questions at their Cabinet and Full Council meetings and are doing so again tomorrow evening. We are asking two questions about trees. This is the one subject which we hear more complaints about than any other (other than pot holes). The Council are letting trees grow to such an extent that many homes are being blighted by them either because they have grown so large and or they are to close to houses. We believe they only have one small group of staff dealing with complaints, no-where near enough to keep up with dealing with complaints.
Jennifer Steadman
2023-07-20 20:53:36
The problem with a telephone survey is that most people are constantly being contacted by spammers, surveys, housing repair teams or other troublesome calls & are likely to believe that this call is also a scam. I understand the sentiment & positive intention behind the survey, but sadly the results returned may not reflect the views of the majority of residents.
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