Overview
We hold three County Views surveys a year. The results give us valuable information that helps us improve the services we provide.
This survey ran from 2 April 2024 to 27 May 2024. The survey was available:
- on the Let’s talk Lincolnshire website
- in County News magazine
- via a dedicated telephone line
- via postal requests
We received 1518 responses in total, of which:
- 670 submitted directly on Let’s talk Lincolnshire
- 848 by post
- 0 by phone
Findings and conclusions
In each County Views survey, we ask for people’s perceptions of the council in five main areas. The data in this report contains the trends for the new set of questions which we reviewed and changed in November 2022.
We see fluctuations in people’s perceptions across all five questions over time. There could be several explanations for this, but we have no evidence to draw definite conclusions. To view the survey results in more detail, visit our County Views report page. Here you can see the Power BI report which shows further data in graphs and charts.
Recurring questions
Question one – how informed would you say you are about our services?
There were 1509 responses in total. 586 respondents (39%) said they were very uninformed or not well informed about our services. Comparing to 411 respondents (27%) who said they were very well informed or well informed about our services.
495 (33%) respondents were neutral. 17 (1%) did not know.
Age
31% (159) of respondents aged 64 and under and 25% (236) of those aged 65 and over were positive in their answers about how informed they were about our services. 36% (177) of respondents aged 64 and under and 39% (370) of those aged 65 and over were negative.
District
Respondents from North Kesteven (40%, 110) were the most positive about how informed they were about our services. Respondents from Boston Borough (59%, 55) were the most negative. This was the lowest negative rating across all questions when comparing by district area.
Disability
20% (73) of respondents with a disability and 32% (319) of those without a disability were positive about how informed they were about our services. 47% (173) of respondents with a disability and 34% (352) of those without a disability were negative.
Comparing results to previous surveys
Between November 2022 and November 2023, participants felt informed about our services. We maintained a 30 to 40% positive response compared to 20 to 34% negative. In April 2024 the percentage of participants being very well or well informed about services fell from 40% to 27%. This is the lowest positive rating for this question since November 2022. The percentage of participants being not well or not at all informed has increased from 20% to 39%. This is the highest negative rating for this question since November 2022.
Question two – how much would you say we listen to and act on resident’s concerns?
There were 1503 responses in total. 599 respondents (40%) said we do not much or at all listen to and act on resident’s concerns. Comparing to 241 respondents (16%) who said we listen to and act on resident’s concerns very much so or fairly much so.
530 (35%) respondents were neutral. 124 (8%) respondents did not know.
Age
19% (97) of respondents aged 64 and under and 14% (136) of respondents aged 65 and over were positive in their answers about listening to and acting on residents’ concerns. This was the lowest positive rating across all questions comparing by age. 39% (194) of respondents aged 64 and under and 40% (375) of respondents aged 65 and over were negative. This was the highest negative rating across all questions comparing by age.
District
Respondents from North Kesteven (22%, 61) were the most positive in their answers about listening to and acting on residents’ concerns. This was the lowest positive rating across all questions when comparing by district area. Respondents from Boston Borough (55%, 52) were the most negative in their rating.
Disability
12% (45) of respondents with a disability and 18% (185) of respondents without a disability were positive in their answers about listening to and acting on residents’ concerns. This was the lowest positive rating across all questions comparing by disability. 49% (179) of respondents with a disability and 37% (373) of respondents without a disability were negative. This was the highest negative rating across all questions comparing by disability.
Comparing results to previous surveys
The percentage of people who said we listen to and act on resident’s concerns very much so or fairly much so has fallen from the last survey from 31% to 16%. This is the lowest positive rating for this question since November 2022. The percentage of people who said we do not listen and act on resident’s concerns much or at all has risen from 28% to 40%.
Question three – how well would you say we provide value for money?
There were 1501 responses in total. 428 respondents (29%) said we provide value for money very well or well. Comparing to 420 respondents (28%) who said we do not provide value for money well or at all well.
558 (37%) respondents were neutral. 90 (6%) respondents did not know.
Age
29% (145) of respondents aged 64 and under and 28% (267) of those aged 65 and over were positive in their when answering the question about value for money. This was the highest positive rating across all questions when comparing by age and shows little difference between the two groups. 32% (161) of respondents aged 64 and under and 26% (240) of those aged 65 and over were negative.
District
Respondents from North Kesteven (37%, 103) remained the most positive about providing value for money. Respondents from Boston Borough (43%, 41) remain the most negative.
Disability
24% (89) of respondents with a disability and 30% (312) of respondents without a disability were positive when answering the question about value for money. This was the highest positive rating across all questions when comparing by disability. 32% (119) of respondents with a disability and 27% (267) of respondents without a disability were negative.
Comparing results to previous surveys
The percentage of people who said we provide value for money very well or well has fallen from 33% to 29% since the last survey. The percentage of people who said we do not provide value for money well or at all has risen from 23% to 28%.
We have seen a switch in value for money perceptions over the longer term. Where we had more negative (average 35%) than positive responses (average 24%), we now have the opposite with an average of 31% positive and 25.5% negative responses in the last two surveys.
Question four – how much would you say you trust us as a council?
There were 1503 responses in total. 436 respondents (29%) said we were untrustworthy or very untrustworthy as a council. Comparing to 346 respondents (23%) who said we were very trustworthy or trustworthy as a council.
678 (45%) respondents were neutral. 43 (3%) respondents did not know.
Age
27% (137) of respondents aged 64 and under and 22% (198) of those aged 65 and over were positive in their answers about trusting the council. 30% (150) of respondents aged 64 and under and 28% (255) of those aged 65 and over were negative.
District
Respondents from North Kesteven (34%, 94) said we were very trustworthy or trustworthy as a council. Respondents from Boston Borough (51%,49) said we were untrustworthy or very untrustworthy as a council.
Disability
16% (60) of respondents with a disability and 26% (267) of respondents without a disability were positive when answering the question about trust. 37% (138) respondents with a disability and 25% (255) of respondents without a disability were negative.
Comparing results to previous surveys
The percentage of people who said we were very trustworthy or trustworthy as a council has fallen from the last survey from 36% to 23%. The percentage of people who said we were untrustworthy or very untrustworthy as a council has the risen form the last survey from 24% to 29%.
Trust in the council was stable at around 37% positive on average until spring 2024 when it dropped 13 percentage points (23%) to six below the negative rate. Negative perceptions have grown, and the figure is currently double the rate (29%) it was in November 2022 (14%).
Question five – overall how would you rate Lincolnshire County Council?
There were 1505 responses in total. 475 respondents (32%) were not at all or not satisfied with Lincolnshire County Council overall. Comparing to 396 respondents (26%) who said they were very satisfied or satisfied with Lincolnshire County Council overall.
591 (39%) respondents were neutral. 43 (3%) respondents did not know.
Age
31% (155) of respondents aged 64 and under and 24% (228) of those aged 65 and over were positive in their answers about overall satisfaction with Lincolnshire County Council. 31% (153) of respondents aged 64 and under and 32% (293) of those aged 65 and over were negative.
District
Respondents from North Kesteven (41%, 113) were the most satisfied with Lincolnshire County Council overall. This is the highest positive rating across all questions when comparing by district area. Respondents from Boston Borough (47%, 45) were the least satisfied with Lincolnshire County Council overall.
Disability
21% (77) of respondents with a disability and 29% (300) of respondents without a disability said they were very satisfied or satisfied with Lincolnshire County Council overall. Whereas 42% (156) of respondents with a disability and 27% (277) of respondents without a disability were negative.
Comparing results to previous surveys
The percentage of people who said they were very satisfied or satisfied with Lincolnshire County Council overall has dropped from the last survey from 40% to 26%. The percentage of people who said they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with Lincolnshire County Council overall has risen less dramatically from 26% to 32%.
Overall satisfaction has fluctuated. Positivity had been higher than negativity (average of 36% vs 29% respectively), but in spring 2024 this pattern reversed.
Your thoughts about: bus services
In the second part of the survey, we asked for people’s views about bus services in Lincolnshire.
Question six – when was the last time you travelled by bus in Lincolnshire?
This question was a multiple choice, where respondents could choose all that applied.
522 respondents travelled by bus in the last few days. 243 respondents travelled by bus more than 12 months ago. 211 respondents travelled by bus last month and 206 respondents travelled by bus last week.
124 respondents travelled by bus in the last 12 months.113 respondents travelled have never taken a bus in Lincolnshire. 77 respondents travelled by bus in the last 12 months.
16 respondents did not know, and 6 participants did not provide any answer.
Age
Travelling by bus more than 12 months ago was the top choice within respondents aged 45 to 64 (22%, 81).
Disability
There was no difference in the top choice when comparing by disability, but a higher proportion of people with a disability hadn’t travelled on a bus in Lincolnshire in over 12 months than those without a disability.
District
There was no difference in top choice when comparing by district area. However, there was a significant difference in proportions between rural districts and the city of Lincoln. For example, 4 in 10 Lincoln respondents had been on a bus in the last few days, compared to 2 or 3 in 10 in North Kesteven, East Lindsey and Boston Borough.
Question seven - did you know that many local bus fares are capped at £2 until the end of 2024?
1183 (79%) respondents knew about that many local bus fares are capped at £2 until the end of 2024. Comparing to 302 (20%) who said they did not know. 18 (1%) respondents did not provide an answer.
Age
There was no difference in responses when comparing by age.
District
There was little difference in responses when comparing by district, but those living in areas further from Lincoln were less likely to be aware of the cap: Boston Borough 76% and South Holland 74% aware (both lower than the average), compared to 89% of Lincoln residents and 88% of residents in North Kesteven aware.
Disability
People with a disability were less likely to know about the price cap than those without a disability (74% vs 81.5% respectively) There was no difference in responses when comparing by disability.
Question eight - what modes of transport do you use most often to travel around the county?
This question was a multiple choice, where respondents could choose up to three answers.
Car or other vehicle was the most often mode of transport selected by 1055 respondents, followed by bus (643) walking (504), by train (190), cycling (124) and other (74). Seven participants did not provide their answers.
There were 73 comments for the other option, where we asked participants to specify. The other modes of transport mentioned the most were:
- taxi – 19 responses
- car sharing or lifts by family or friends – 13 responses
- mobility scooter or wheelchair – 10 responses
- transport service such as Call connect – 8 responses
- motorhome - 2 responses
- coach - 2 responses
- train – 2 responses
- electric scooter – 1 response
Age
Bus was the top mode of transport selected by respondents aged 24 or under (21, 91%).
Disability
There was no difference in responses when comparing by disability.
District
There was no difference in responses when comparing by district.
Question nine - what do you think would encourage more people to use local buses around Lincolnshire more often?
This question was a multiple choice, where respondents could choose up to three answers.
More frequent buses (1042), more convenient routes (714) and easier to find timetable (546) were the top three responses participants thought would encourage more people to use local buses around Lincolnshire more often.
Followed by lower fares (379), other (please specify) (357), better bus stops and shelters (263), quicker journeys (230) and bus stops closer to destination (210). Eight participants did not provide their answers.
There were 361 comments for the other option, please specify. 58 respondents said there was no bus service near where they live. The top themes were grouped as follows:
- afternoon and evening bus service to be available to fit around school time, work and evening activities - 109 responses
- more reliable bus service – including no last-minute cancellations, punctuality of buses, reliable payment service – 63 responses
- weekend bus service to be available including bank holidays – 55 responses
- more routes to cover more locations county wide – 33 responses
- timetable including route maps and joint timetable for other transport options, live information, printed timetables - 27 responses
- more frequent bus service (at regular intervals) – 20 responses
- cleaner buses - 10 responses
Age
There was no difference in responses when comparing by age.
Disability
There was no difference in responses when comparing by disability.
District
There was no difference in responses when comparing by district.
Question ten - what do you see as the biggest advantages of taking the bus over other forms of transport?
This question was a multiple choice, where respondents could choose up to three answers.
1100 respondents selected not having to worry about parking, as the biggest advantages of taking the bus over other forms of transport. Followed by:
- cheaper than owning and operating a car (698)
- less stressful than driving (576)
- reducing congestion in my local area (538)
- reducing their carbon emissions (481)
- easy to use (323)
- other (please specify)
There were 166 comments for the other option, please specify. 57 (34%) respondents said they did not have any other option but to travel by bus. 30 respondents said there were no advantages of taking a bus. The top themes were grouped as follows:
- buses provide a cheaper transport option (compared to taxis) for social activities including days and nights out with a meal and a drink – 21 responses
- taking a bus is less stressful, enjoyable (sightseeing) and convenient (no need for parking) – 12 responses
- buses allow people to stay independent and not rely on lifts from family or friends – 10 responses
Age
Cheaper than owning and operating a car (54%, 14) and not having to worry about parking (54%, 14) were the top choices for people aged 24 or under.
Disability
There was no difference in the top choice when comparing by disability.
District
There was no difference in the top choice when comparing by district area.
Additional comments
We received additional comments to this survey through direct emails, letters and comments on social media platforms that we used to promote the survey. We will share the comments with the transport team.
There were 56 comments stating there was no bus service available where people lived.
The most frequent comments were:
- morning, afternoon and evening bus service to be available to fit around school time, work and evening activities – 79 comments
- more reliable bus service – including no last-minute cancellations, punctuality of buses - 57 comments
- more frequent bus service (at regular intervals) – 46 comments
- more routes to cover more locations – 39 comments
- weekend service to be available - 24 comments
- cheaper fares (weekly and monthly tickets) - 24 comments
Who took part and next steps
Who took part
The survey asked participants to provide additional information about themselves. This included:
- district or area participants were from
- whether they consider themselves to have a disability,
- their age and
- ethnicity
Those questions were voluntary, and the results help us check if we are reaching a representative section of society.
Breakdown by age
Most respondents were 65 or over (947, 62%) followed by 368 (24%) respondents aged 45 to 64. There were 107 (7%) respondents aged 25 to 44, 24 respondents (2%) aged 16 to 24 and two respondents (0.1%) aged 15 or under. 70 (5%) respondents preferred not to state.
Breakdown by local council area
The highest number of responses came from East Lindsey 348, 23%), followed by North Kesteven (278, 18%), South Kesteven (251, 17%), West Lindsey (198 13%). City of Lincoln (168 11%). The fewest came from Boston Borough (96, 6%) and South Holland (132, 9%), which reflects the usual trend. 9 (0.6%) respondents were outside Lincolnshire. 38 (3%) preferred not to state.
Disability
375 people identified as having a disability which is 25% of all respondents. The disability rate for Lincolnshire is 27.6%.
Ethnicity
1382 (91%) respondents identified as being from a White background. 13 respondents (1%) identified as being from a Mixed ethnic background. Three respondents (0.2%) identified as being from an Other ethnic group. Three respondent (0.2%) identified as being from an Asian background and two (0.1%) as being from a Black background.
Next steps
We ask the questions so we can reflect and act on the feedback we receive. The council has a bus service improvement plan (BSIP), which sets out how we intend to:
- enhance bus services
- further improve the bus offer to local residents and visitors across the county
This is in partnership with:
- local bus operators
- our district council partners
- the Greater Lincolnshire LEP
- other stakeholders
The Department for Transport (DfT) has allocated funding to support us to make these improvements.
Using this BSIP money, we have already supported improvements to services in:
Feedback from this County Views survey will help us:
- identify where further improvements could be made
- to prioritise where BSIP funding could be spent
Feedback you have shared with us about specific routes will be anonymously passed on to the bus operators that run those services, where appropriate.
The survey has also identified certain areas of the county and groups of residents who are less likely to know about the £2 fare cap and other bus information. This will help us target our communications in these areas and with these groups.