Scotland residents happy with area

19/08/11

Charlotte Birch

The majority of residents in Scotland are happy with their neighbourhoods, a government survey has shown.

According to the Scottish Household Survey, 55 per cent of those polled said their neighbourhood was very good - an improvement on the 49 per cent who gave the same response in 1999.

There has also been a drop in the number of people saying vandalism, graffiti and damage to property was rife in their area - from 18 per cent in 1999 to 11 per cent today.

The research also revealed that anti-social behaviour reached its lowest point since devolution, while residents are increasingly satisfied with local schools and healthcare.

Furthermore, smoking is at a record low, more households have access to the internet and recycling is on the increase.

The SHS is designed to discover the composition, characteristics and behaviour of Scottish households and individuals.

Elsewhere, however, more people had to deal with noisy neighbours and loud parties - rising from 8 per cent to nearly 10per cent over the 12 years, and the number of households with access to a car fell, and less people were satisfied with public transport.