Happy Christmas 2014? Not as happy as last year

It looks as if we are all a little bit more miserable than we were a year ago.

Don't take our word for it. Listen to what you and your neighbours are saying - according to the newly-published City Tracker survey for Brighton and Hove.

The survey is based on a representative sample of 1,003 residents. But don't let the relatively small number fool you; it is all very scientific.

The authors assure us: "In this wave almost all results are less positive than in the past and less positive than national benchmarks. We can't attribute this to any individual factor and we are confident that the results are robust."

So here are just a few of the results:

80% are satisfied with Brighton and Hove as a place to live, a 9% decline on last year;

Satisfaction with the local area as a place to live is notably lower than previously at 79% - compared with a high of 93% in 2012. We have moved from being considerably higher than the UK average of 80%;

While 45% believe the council acts on the concerns of residents a great deal or fair amount, 46% believe it does so not very much or not at all. The LGA national result shows 59% think that their local authority acts on the concerns of residents.

A new question this year asked residents whether they thought the council provided value for money. Opinion was divided: 31% agreed the council does so; 34% neither agreed nor disagreed, and 32% disagreed.

Worryingly, almost a quarter of residents do not agree that they will have enough money, after housing costs, to meet basic living costs.

When asked, unprompted, what they thought the biggest environmental issue facing the city is, 28% mentioned waste disposal or rubbish.

But if you are looking for an optimistic explanation, you might find it here. Field work for the survey was conducted around the time when there was industrial action by Cityclean workers.

What residents would like to change

Q: If you could change one thing about Brighton and Hove, what would it be?

Overall satisfaction with services

Q: Taking everything into account, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the following organisations in your local area?

Wise use of money

Q: To what extent do you agree or disagree that the following organisations use money wisely?

For more information, visit: www.bhconnected.org.uk