Residents’ Survey 2025: results

The annual Residents' Survey measures how satisfied residents are with life in the borough and the services provided by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council. The findings help us to understand how we are delivering against our Corporate Plan and compare our performance across years; but more importantly they help us improve our understanding of residents and allow us to design services that meet their needs.     

The survey was conducted over four weeks at the beginning of 2025. The survey followed industry‑standard resident survey questions and covered key themes including: 

• satisfaction with life in the borough 
• satisfaction with council services and communications 
• feelings of social cohesion and safety 

Methodology 

A total of 10,000 randomly selected households across the borough received a postal invitation to take part, with the option to complete the survey online or via a paper questionnaire. A target sample size of 780 was selected in order to achieve a representative volume of responses and ±3.5% margin of error at the 95% confidence level.  

The survey was also made available to residents more generally, including promotion through social media, online advertising, posters, hard‑copy questionnaires in community centres, and emails to subscribers and partners. A prize‑draw incentive was offered. In total, the survey received 1,646 responses from residents aged 18 and over, with an improved margin of error of ±2.4% at a 95% confidence level. 

The final sample achieved a good level of demographic representation. Weighting was used in order to make the results more representative of the demographic make-up of the borough using the Office for National Statistics (ONS) population estimates (Weighting adjusts survey results so they better reflect the whole population. If certain groups, such as younger residents, respond less, their answers are given more weight to match their actual share of the community. Weighting ensures the findings represent Reigate & Banstead residents overall, not just those who responded). This was done separately across genders and prioritised balancing age groups while also maintaining accuracy of the data.      

Headline results

Satisfaction with local area  

Overall satisfaction 

Respondents were asked to indicate their overall satisfaction with life in their local area. 67% of residents were satisfied with life in their local area (19% very satisfied, 48% fairly satisfied). 20% were dissatisfied, while 11% remained neutral. 

Life satisfaction 

Respondents were asked to indicate their satisfaction with specific aspects of life in their local area. Satisfaction levels varied across different aspects. Parks and green spaces received the highest satisfaction at 75%, followed by a friendly and welcoming community at 67%, and general safety at 64%. Transport and cost of living were rated less positively, with nearly half of respondents dissatisfied. Shops received mixed feedback, with 42% dissatisfied. 

Satisfaction with Reigate & Banstead Borough Council 

Overall satisfaction 

Respondents were asked to indicate their overall satisfaction with the council. 51% of residents were satisfied with the council, while 24% were neutral and 24% dissatisfied. 

Satisfaction with council services 

Respondents were asked to indicate their satisfaction with specific council services. Waste, recycling, and street cleaning services were among the highest-rated, with 64% satisfaction. Parks and greenspaces managed by the council also performed well at 66%. Housing and support for town centres received satisfaction levels of around one-third. 

Perceptions of the council 

Respondents were asked to indicate the extent to which the council acts on the concerns of residents. 40% of respondents said the council is responsive to local concerns, while another 40% reported not very much or no responsiveness. When asked how they speak about the council, 33% said they speak positively if asked, and 28% said they speak negatively. 26% felt that the council provides value for money. 38% believed the council operates in an environmentally responsible way, with a large proportion remaining neutral. 

Communications 

 The council's communications and customer services were very well rated, with levels of satisfaction considerably higher than the national average (local.gov.uk).

Respondents were asked to indicate the communication channel that they had used to contact the council (if they had been in contact within the previous six months). 40% of respondents had not contacted the council in the past six months. Among those who had contacted, 59% rated the ease of use of communication channels as good or great, and 52% gave similar ratings for customer service. 61% felt fairly or very well informed about council services and benefits. 

Cohesion and safety 

Residents were asked to respond to a series of statements to indicate their sense of belonging to their local area. 62% of residents felt they belong to their local area, and 58% believed people from different backgrounds treat each other with respect. 

Respondents were also asked to indicate how safe they felt when outside in their local area and local town centre, both during the day and at night. During daylight hours, 81% of residents felt safe in their local area and 77% in town centres. At night, these figures dropped to 52% and 45% respectively.  

When asked to indicate the extent to which different anti-social behaviours were a problem in their community, rubbish and litter lying around was identified as the most common issue, with 45% of respondents saying it was either a very big problem (14%) or a fairly big problem (31%). People using or dealing drugs was the next most reported issue, with 32% saying it was a very big problem (13%) or a fairly big problem (19%). Noisy neighbours or loud parties were the least reported issue, with 10% saying it was a problem. 

Further information 

More detailed results will soon be available as an interactive dashboard. 

We'll be repeating our Residents' Survey research annually. 

If you need any help interpreting these resources or have any questions about future resident research, then please email: engagement@reigate-banstead.gov.uk