Londoners 'dismayed' by life in the capital: Survey highlights fears over crime, homelessness and unemployment

ATTEMPTS by John Gummer, Secretary of State for the Environment, to bolster London's self-image will be undermined by an unpublished survey revealing deep dissatisfaction among its residents.

The study, carried out this autumn by the Association of London Authorities, found that many Londoners fear the city is becoming overwhelmed by housing shortages, crime and unemployment.

It was undertaken in response to Mr Gummer's announced launch next week of the biggest-ever consultation exercise on London's future. He has said he believes Britons should celebrate the capital rather than finding fault.

In August, Mr Gummer wrote: 'It's odd that grown-up people haven't learned the lesson that most of us try to teach our children early on: you don't improve your own reputation by pulling someone else down.'

But when the ALA invited Londoners to write in with their views on the city, many raised deep-seated worries. 'There was concern about the numbers of homeless people, the economy, unemployment, crime and public transport,' a spokeswoman said. The Labour-controlled association plans to send its full findings to Mr Gummer.

On Monday, the Department of the Environment will issue 300,000 of its own questionnaires on London to news- stands, community centres and libraries. Members of the public will be asked to fill in the forms and send them back by freepost.

Questions range from what residents appreciate most about the capital to what should be improved.

Controversially, the questionnaire is not thought to ask how residents want the capital to be governed. An opinion poll this month showed that, seven years after the Greater London Council was abolished, four-fifths of Londoners want a new elected authority.

The findings of the questionnaire will feed into a planned prospectus on London's future, London Pride, to be co-ordinated by Sir Allen Sheppard, chairman of London First, a private/public sector partnership which aims to improve the capital. It will be accompanied by a glossy brochure which lauds London's achievements.

The brochure's optimistic tone (it is called London - Making the Best Better), contrasts with the manifesto launched by Dame Shirley Porter, in 1990, when she was the Tory leader of Westminster Council. She called for a ministry of London to prevent the capital becoming the most squalid city in Europe. 'Our road and rail links are jammed full. Many pavements are filthy and broken . . . Living and working in London is increasingly painful, tending towards the brutish,' she said.