COUNCILLORS may look into how they can promote themselves after more than half of residents who took part in a city-wide poll said they did not know who they were.

The Big York Survey, run by City of York Council, revealed 57 per cent of those who responded could not say who represented their ward with 18 to 34-year-olds being the least likely to know.

The results also showed a high percentage of York residents who are not originally from the UK were unaware of their local councillor.

A report going before the authority next week said work carried out by its communities and equalities team had shown there was “little awareness of the democratic process” among the city’s black and ethnic communities.

Officials have recommended forming a task group of councillors to consider how to raise awareness of elected representatives and local democracy as well as examining whether councillors are fully representative of their communities and whether candidates for councillor vacancies should be from more diverse backgrounds.

The survey showed men, and the over-55s, are more likely to know their councillor than women and those aged 45 and younger. Any review could focus on raising awareness among black and ethnic communities, women and young people.

The committee’s chairman, Coun John Galvin, said: “It is a topic which needs serious consideration – the council and most political parties do their level best to let people know who their local councillors are, but while people will always find this out when there is an issue, they may go on not knowing when there is not an issue.

“I’ve always felt it is important that people know who their local councillor is.”

The Press spoke to a number of people in York yesterday, most of whom were unaware of who their councillor was.

Edwin Harris, 63, of South Bank, said: “I think they all have their head in the clouds – they need to be more aware of the state of the pavements and the closing of Lendal Bridge.”

Sandra Steele, 58, from Fulford, said she did not know her local councillor and was “not really bothered about knowing”, but said roads and pavements should be their priority, while Hull Road resident Janet Simpson said: “It would help if they made themselves known and I think they need to address the issue of noisy students.”

Shirley Smith, 61, from Holgate, said: “I do feel they make themselves known and it’s up to us to find them.”

The report will go before the council’s corporate and scrutiny management committee next week.