Streatham residents rated clean streets and public transport as most important for making Lambeth a good place to live. Street cleanliness and road repairs were seen as needing most improvement. Streatham residents reported general health and wellbeing in line with Lambeth averages but were more likely to exercise weekly. Compared to years past, Streatham residents felt their area was improving and saw skills development and independent living for vulnerable people improving most. Streatham residents expressed a strong sense of community and willingness to work together to improve their neighborhood.

1. Neighbourhood Insight
Streatham

2. What matters most to Streatham residents about their
neighbourhood?
• When thinking about what are the most important things in making
Lambeth a good place to live, and what are the things that most need
improving, clean streets (cited by 31%) and public transport (29%)
are rated as most important by Streatham residents in making
Lambeth a good place to live, followed by the level of crime (21%)
and having parks and open spaces (19%).
• The proportion of Streatham residents mentioning each of these is in
line the proportion of residents doing so across Lambeth.

3. What do Streatham residents say most needs improving?
• Street cleanliness (cited by 27%) and road and pavement repairs (18%) are
rated top by Streatham residents as most needing improving, followed by
the level of traffic congestion (14%), the level of crime (12%) and having
affordable decent housing (12%).
• Streatham residents are more likely than residents overall to say that road
and pavement repairs (18% compared to a 13% borough average) and
traffic congestion (14% compared to 10%) most need improvement.
• In addition, Streatham residents are more likely than residents across
Lambeth to say improvements are needed to public transport (10%
compared to 5% overall) and shopping facilities (9% compared to 6%).

4. How do Streatham residents feel about their wellbeing?
• Streatham resident’s self-reported ratings of their general health and
mental wellbeing are on a par with findings for Lambeth as a whole.
• Across Lambeth, around a quarter (24%) of residents exercise once or
twice a week, this increases to three in ten (29%) Streatham
residents.
• However, when added to those who exercise more frequently, the
proportion of Streatham residents exercising once or twice a week or
more frequently is 74%, in line with the borough-wide figure of 72%.

5. What has changed in Streatham?
• Streatham residents are more likely to say their area is a better place
to live compared to years ago (52% compared with a borough-wide
figure of 45%) and are least likely to say the area has got worse (8%
compared to 13% for the borough as a whole).

6. What has changed for the better or worse
• Residents were asked to say whether a range of community outcomes
had got better, worse or stayed the same over the past 12 months.
Streatham residents’ views are generally on a par with findings across
Lambeth as a whole.
• However, Streatham residents are more likely, and the most likely of
the five neighbourhoods, to think that the following community
outcomes have got better:
• All Lambeth communities feel they are valued and part of their
neighbourhood (21% compared to 15% overall)
• People have the skills to find work (19% compared to 14%)
• Older disabled and vulnerable people can live independently and have control
of their lives (17% compared to 13%).

7. How do Streatham residents feel about local services?
• When considering how satisfied or dissatisfied they are with the way
the council runs things and whether they agree or disagree that the
council provides value for money, Streatham residents’ views are in
line with the findings for Lambeth overall.
• Across a range of council services asked about, usage by Streatham
residents is on a par with findings for Lambeth as a whole.

8. How business-friendly people feel their area is
• Streatham businesses are less likely to rate Lambeth as a good
business location (50% compared to 61% for the borough as a whole)
• They are also least likely to consider that the Council is business-
friendly (30% compared to 40% for Lambeth as a whole)
• Streatham business confidence is in line with the borough as a whole
but businesses are least likely to say they have reduced the number of
staff in the last year (3% compared to 7% for Lambeth as a whole)

9. How people feel about their community
• Streatham residents, along with Brixton residents, are the most likely to say they
would speak highly of their neighbourhood if asked, 76% doing so, which is above
the borough average of 70%.
• Streatham residents are more likely than residents overall, and again the most
likely to agree that their neighbourhood is changing for the better (62% vs 53%).
• However, less positively, Streatham residents are the most likely to rate the town
centre as a place to visit as poor, 11% doing so, higher than the 7% borough
average.
• Four out of five (79%) Streatham residents agree they feel that they belong to
their area (higher than the 72% overall).

10. • Streatham residents are also more likely than residents overall to agree they
would be willing to work with others to improve their neighbourhood (76%
compared to 68% borough-wide), that neighbours in the area help each other
(73% vs 63%), that they regularly stop and talk with people in their
neighbourhood (69% vs 61%), and that they have someone in their
neighbourhood they could go to for advice (68% vs 58%). In all these cases,
Streatham is the neighbourhood which has the highest proportion of residents
agreeing with the statement.
• Streatham residents have a strong sense of community cohesion with nine in ten
(91%) saying their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds
get on well together, higher than across Lambeth (87%) and the highest
proportion for any neighbourhood.

11. How we can work together
• Streatham residents are more likely than residents overall to agree
that the council consults residents before it makes changes, 58%
doing so compared to 52% across Lambeth, and they are also more
likely to agree that the council helps people here to make their
community stronger (54% disagreeing compared to 46%).
• Streatham residents are more likely to feel that residents are already
collaborating to make the area better, being more likely to agree that
residents work with each other to make improvements, 60% doing so
compared to 52% across Lambeth.
• The council is working on Neighbourhood Enhancement Programme
in four wards in Streatham so people are putting forward ideas.