Rex Harrison, the Council analyst who heads the annual survey project, says this year’s poll continues a trend showing “good solid levels of satisfaction” with Council business and the city in general.

“It’s obvious that the great majority of people who live here love the place,” he says. “When you ask people if and why they like the city, it’s the physical appearance and the environment that generates the attraction.

”These same things keep coming up over the years as the top reasons for liking the city -- the many beautiful parks and gardens, that it’s clean and not too much traffic, the trees.”

The survey includes a section looking at qualityof- life issues. More than nine out of 10 people surveyed are either satisfied or very satisfied with the city as a place to live, work and to spend their spare time in.This year’s figure – 93 per cent – has been steady for at least five years.

According to this year’s poll, 95% reckoned they were either happy or very happy and 75% described themselves as healthy. Nobody said they were not at all happy.

Just under 90% thought their over-all quality of life was either good or very good and about 60% felt they were able to trust people (34% agreed with the idea that “you can’t be too careful”).

Traffic is an area of slowly rising annoyance over recent years. This year’s survey confirms a slowly growing proportion of people who are not happy with traffic movement and safety. In general there is a parallel rise in the proportion who think the Council should spend more on this area.

In a question about problems in people’s local neighbourhoods, just under 60% mentioned dangerous driving, almost 50% nominated speeding, 20% mentioned traffic noise and 34% thought walkers and cyclists were at risk from traffic.

Also nominated as problems by more than a quarter of those questioned were litter, burglaries and prowlers, car theft and damage to cars, smoke from indoor fires and graffiti.

Asked about their relationship with the Council and its decision-making, 84% said they feel they are able to have an influence on Council decisions, and about 90% said they had confidence in the Council’s ability to make decisions that are in the best interests of the city.