Household Survey Highlights Positive Trends in the Highlands

21st October 2007

The results of a Scottish wide household survey has highlighted a large number of positive trends for the Highlands, including a high rating from residents for considering their neighbourhood as a very good place to live.

A total of 1,184 households in the Highlands were interviewed over a two year period in a national survey conducted for the Scottish Government.

A briefing note published by The Highland Council provides a summary of the results that are available for Highland

It reveals that Highland has the fourth highest percentage of people rating their neighbourhood as a very good place to live. At 69%, this is 17% above the Scottish average. The percentage of people reporting something they disliked about their neighbourhood was half the Scottish average. 23% of people in Highland had experienced a neighbourhood problem in the last 12 months, 11% lower than the Scottish average. 85% of Highland people feel safe when alone at home at night ~ 9% above the Scottish average.

The survey reports that 37% of people in Highland own their house ~ 8% above the Scottish average; 45% of people own detached homes ~ 24% above the Scottish average; and people in Highland tend to stay in their houses for longer than the Scottish average, with 48% staying for 11 years or more, compared to the Scottish average of 40%.

In the Highlands, 78% of households have one or more cars ~ the seventh highest in Scotland and 10% above the Scottish average. 61% of Highland households have access to the internet, the fifth highest percentage and 8% above the Scottish average.

The number of households in Highland with one adult employed was 28% - 1% above the national average. Fewer people in Highland use the bus to get to work ~ 7% compared with the Scottish average of 14%.

On the question of health, 58% of people in Highland report their health to be good, compared with the Scottish average of 53%. 22% of people in Highland smoke, the 10th lowest percentage in Scotland and 4% less than the Scottish average.

Councillor Drew Hendry, Chairman of the Planning Environment and Development Committee, welcomed the findings of the survey.

He said: "The results of this survey are very encouraging indeed, underlining that the Highlands is an excellent place to live work and learn. The analysis of the national survey by Planning and Development staff is another excellent tool for councillors and helps us understand how we compare with other areas of Scotland."

See the Briefing Paper at
http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/A0DB2685-338B-4634-A87C-022CA22B686E/0/Briefing_Note_22Scotlands_People.pdf