Poll shows voters prioritise roads and housing

New polling carried out ahead of the 5 May elections has revealed that voters want their local councils to improve roads and provide more affordable housing.

The Ipsos research indicates that 50 per cent of voters thought improving the condition of roads and pavements should be a top priority for councils, with the figure increasing to 60 per cent and 63 per cent in Wales and Scotland.

Second on the list was providing affordable housing, with 39 per cent of voters telling Ipsos this area was most in need of improvement. The cost-of-living crisis came fourth on the public’s list of priorities, behind improving health services and level with improving the condition of shops and town centres.

Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos, said: “Nationally, much of the attention is being paid to the cost of living crisis, Ukraine and party-gate, but when it comes to the upcoming council elections more local factors will also have a role to play.

“Although most people are pretty happy with where they live, they still want to see improvements, particularly on roads, housing, high streets and the local cost of living – all of which are regular bugbears for local residents. And these can all vary by where you live, for example, crime is a particular issue in London, while in the rest of the South East traffic congestion is a bigger priority.”