According to a survey of Clapham residents: - Public transport, low crime, and clean streets are most important in making the area a good place to live. Street cleanliness and affordable housing are seen as needing the most improvement. - Clapham residents have better mental wellbeing and are more likely to exercise than others in Lambeth. While their financial situations often improve, they also see deterioration at higher rates than elsewhere. - Most feel the area has improved over two years, especially regarding crime, housing, and sustainability. However, opinions on sustainability are mixed.

1. Neighbourhood Insight
Clapham

2. What matters most to Clapham residents about their
neighbourhood?
• In the 2015 Residents Survey we asked people what makes Lambeth a
good place to live. A third of Clapham residents cite public transport
as being most important in making Lambeth a good place to live,
followed by levels of crime and clean streets (both one in four) and
parks and open spaces (one in five).
• Clapham residents are more likely than residents in Lambeth overall
to say that public transport, levels of crime and parks and open
spaces are important.
• Clapham residents are less likely than residents overall to say that
affordable decent housing, education provision, and community
activities are important in making Lambeth a good place to live.

3. What do Clapham residents say most needs improving?
• Top in terms of Clapham residents’ perceptions of what most needs
improving is street cleanliness, cited by over a third and this is higher than
the borough average.
• Next comes having affordable decent housing with one in five, and this is
also higher than the borough average, although this issue is less important
to Clapham residents in making Lambeth a good place to live.
• Third and fourth in Clapham residents’ priorities for in Clapham residents’
priorities for improvement are the level of crime and road and pavement
repairs, both one in six. The proportion of Clapham residents mentioning
each of these is in line with the borough average.

4. How do Clapham residents feel about their wellbeing?
• Clapham residents rating of their general health is generally on a par with
findings for Lambeth as a whole. However, Clapham residents are more
likely to rate their mental wellbeing as good or very good, nine in ten
doing so, compared to eight in ten for Lambeth overall.
• Of all the neighbourhood areas, Clapham residents are the most likely to
exercise every day or almost every day, over three in ten doing so, which
may account for the higher use of leisure and sports facilities in the area.
• A half of Clapham residents have seen their financial circumstances
change in the past year. And while Clapham residents are the most likely of
any neighbourhood to say their financial circumstances have improved
over the past year, a quarter doing so, higher than the borough-wide
average, nearly as many Clapham residents report that their financial
situation has worsened, also the highest rate amongst the five areas.

5. What has changed in Clapham?
• Clapham residents are significantly more likely to say their area is a
better place to live compared to two years ago (54%) compared to the
Lambeth average (45%). They are also least likely to say the area has
got worse (8%).

6. What has changed for the better or worse
Across the different community outcomes, Clapham residents are more positive
than the Lambeth average in saying that the following have got better over the last
year:
• Crime reduces
• Lambeth residents have more opportunities for better quality homes
• People live environmentally sustainable lives
• However, there are conflicting opinions in the neighbourhood on whether people
are living in environmentally sustainable ways as Clapham residents are also more
likely than residents overall to say that ‘people living environmentally sustainable
lives’ has worsened.
• Clapham residents are more likely to say that changes are having a positive
impact on them – four in ten - than other neighbourhoods. Over one in five do
not perceive any changes, the highest of the five neighbourhoods.

7. How do Clapham residents feel about local services?
• Clapham residents are less positive about Lambeth Council than residents
overall, being less likely to be satisfied – six in ten with the way the council
runs things and more likely to be dissatisfied – one in five. They are also
less likely to agree the council provides value for money – one in two and
more likely to disagree – almost three in ten.
• Residents living in Clapham also tend to be less positive about their
experience in contacting the council, with nearly half saying it is difficult to
get through on the phone, only a third saying the council responds quickly;
and only a third saying the council resolves problems when asked.
• Clapham residents are also less likely than residents overall to agree that
the council consults residents before it makes changes, four in ten doing so.
• Clapham residents are more likely to say they ‘don’t know’ if the council
has more or less money to spend than last year, over four in ten doing so.

8. How business-friendly people feel their area is
• In the Lambeth Business Survey Clapham, seven in ten businesses are
mostly like to rate Lambeth as a good business location
• Business in Clapham are more likely to say that Lambeth Council is
business friendly – with over four in ten, but they are also more likely
to say that Lambeth Council is not business friendly, with just over a
quarter saying so.

9. How people feel about their community
• Clapham residents are more likely than residents overall to say their
area is a better place to live compared to two years ago, with over
half doing so
• Clapham residents are the least likely to say the area has got worse,
with only 8% doing so. Positively, only one in twenty residents
disagree that they would speak highly of their neighbourhood if
asked, lower than the borough average.
• Clapham residents’ views across measures of neighbourliness are
generally on a par with the borough average.

10. How we can work together
• Clapham residents are less likely to agree that residents work with
each other to make improvements, with under half doing so, and that
they know how to get involved with what the Council is doing locally
– with just under four in ten.
• The Business Improvement District’s overarching aim is to improve
Clapham as a place to work, live, visit and do business. Its work is
focused around four key themes, which are promote, enhance, safe
and connect. It does a lot of work to improve the look and feel of the
High Street and has ambitions to do more to improve the area for its
businesses and local residents