The results from Calderdale Council’s annual residents survey are in, with 70% of people responding to the survey agreeing that Calderdale is a great place to live.
Each year, the Council invites residents to take the Vision 2024 perception survey which helps measure progress towards achieving the Vision for the borough for the year 2024.
2024 is an important year for Calderdale. It marks 50 years since Calderdale Council was established, offering an opportunity to reflect on what has been accomplished over the last 50 years and look to what can be achieved in the future.
This year’s residents survey asked people 16 questions about life in Calderdale, with further questions related to each of the Vision 2024 themes – distinctiveness; kindness and resilience; and enterprising and talented. The survey also included additional questions on the cost of living and climate action to help the Council understand the challenges faced by residents and subsequently inform future priorities.
In general, responses were positive around the Vision themes, particularly around distinctiveness, with 69% agreeing with positive statements around opportunities for arts and creativity in the borough. The borough’s growing tourism offer was also reflected in results, with 84% agreeing that Calderdale is a great place to visit and 80% attending at least one attraction or event in Calderdale in the past 12 months.
There was a very positive response to how individuals were reacting to the climate emergency with 73% saying they have made changes in the last year to help tackle climate change. However, there was some uncertainty about the wider response, with 43% neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the statement that people and organisations in Calderdale are tackling climate change.
This uncertainty was also evident in questions around the cost of living, although more people agreed than disagreed with the statement that people in Calderdale are more likely to support each other in the cost of living crisis than in other places.
The full survey responses will be analysed further and help to inform the Council’s future ambitions and how to achieve them.
As well as supporting work for the final year of the Vision 2024, this local input will also inform the hopes and aspirations for Calderdale beyond 2024.
The Leader of Calderdale Council, Cllr Jane Scullion, said:
“The annual residents survey is an opportunity for us to hear from local people about our progress towards our Vision for the year 2024 and other key priorities such as the climate emergency.
“It’s been really interesting to review the results from this year’s survey. It was especially encouraging to see the positive response around creative opportunities in the borough, and the popularity of local events and attractions – something which we’ll be building upon further as we head towards our Year of Culture in 2024.
“The responses also highlight local concerns around national issues, such as the cost of living crisis and we’ll continue to do all we can to support residents who may be struggling.”
To find out more about Calderdale’s Vision for 2024, visit https://www.calderdale.gov.uk/vision/ . The full results of the residents survey are available to view at : Calderdale Perception Survey dataset