Lib Dems slam taxpayer cash spent on professional survey to tell Sunderland Council the 'blindingly obvious'

Lib Dem councillors on Wearside have hit out after Sunderland City Council used taxpayers' money to hire a professional polling company - only for the results to show what was already known about the need to clean the streets and tackle anti-social behaviour in the city.

Sunderland Council have this morning (28th July) released headline results from a professional residents' survey carried out in November 2021 by polling company Ipsos Mori.

The survey was sent to 5,800 random addresses across the city and received 988 valid responding.

The results showed that:

• just 27% of city residents thought the Council provided good value for money
• only 40% of people are satisfied with Sunderland Council
• just a quarter of local people think the Council is ambitious for the city

The Council also say the survey helped them to identity 'priority areas' for action such as tackling anti-social behaviour, cleaner streets and better sport and leisure facilities.

Opposition Liberal Democrats in the city have hit out, saying the survey just confirms what councillors and residents already knew about the need to focus on improving basic services across the city.

Responding to the publication of the headline survey results, Lib Dem councillor for Doxford and Tunstall Heather Fagan said:

"Council bosses needn't have spent taxpayers' money on a professional polling company to tell them what is already blindingly obvious - that local people are sick to the back teeth of streets not being cleaned, roads not being repaired and anti-social behaviour being allowed to skyrocket in our communities.

"Instead of wasting yet more money on this residents' survey, Sunderland Labour bigwigs could have done what any councillors worth their salt do - knock on doors and speak to residents who aren't shy about telling you exactly what they think about the failings of those in charge of Sunderland Council to listen to local people and focus on fixing the basics.

"Those who have run Sunderland Council for decades shouldn't be surprised that their shameful record of repeatedly hiking Council Tax, closing beloved facilities like Crowtree Leisure Centre, cutting vital basic services like street cleaning and wasting money like the £2.4 million a year renting new City Hall offices has resulted in just 27% of people thinking they get value for money from this Council."