Questionnaire detailed analysis...to Page 18 ....9.5 Tourism onwards
SWANAGE COMMUNITY
PLANNING PROJECT
QUESTIONNAIRE
Analysis undertaken by Partnerships, Access and
Community Education Office of Bournemouth University
on behalf of the Swanage Town and Community Partnership
Ed Bickle PACE
Bournemouth University
6 th Floor Royal London House
Christchurch Road
Bournemouth BH1 3LT
Tel: 01202 962781
E Mail: ebickle@bournemouth.ac.uk
January 2005
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
With thanks to The Swanage Town and Community
Partnership who funded the consultation exercise
Our sincere thanks to all those residents of Swanage and
visitors who gave their time to participate in the research
and consultation exercise and to the volunteers who
helped to collect the data to make this report possible
Thank you also to Alan Leeson, Town Clerk Swanage
Town Council and Roger Seaman from Dorset
Community Action
The PACE 1 team
Researcher
Ed Bickle
With advice and guidance from:
Christos Apostolakis
Nadeem Hai
Suzanne Hume
1 PACE: Partnerships, Access and Community Education. A support service of Bournemouth
University
Contents
Page
1. Executive Summary 1
2. Background 2
3. Swanage Community Planning Project Questionnaire 3
4. Profile of Swanage 3
5. Methodology 5
6. Response to the Survey 7
7. Data Analysis – Question 1 8
8. Data Analysis – Question 2 10
8.1 Crime 11
8.2 Housing & The Economy 11
8.3 Environment 12
8.4 Local Facilities 12
8.5 Tourism 13
8.6 Health & Fitness 13
8.7 Transport 14
8.8 Youth Facilities 14
9. Data Analysis – Question 3 15
9.1 Crime 16
9.2 Housing & The Economy 16
9.3 Environment 16
9.4 Local Facilities 16
9.5 Tourism 17
9.6 Health & Fitness 18
9.7 Transport 18
10. Data Analysis - Question 4 18
10.1 Crime 19
10.2 Housing & The Economy 20
10.3 Environment 20
10.4 Local Facilities 21
10.5 Tourism & Entertainment 21
10.6 Health & Fitness 22
10.7 Transport 22
10.8 Purbeck Society meeting 23
11. Data Analysis – Cumulative Totals 23
12. The Wider Picture 24
12.1 Law & Order 24
12.2 Affordable Housing 25
12.3 Transport 26
12.4 Sports Centre 27
13. Key Issues for Discussion 29
14. Conclusion 29
15. Appendices 31
1. All Answers by Questions and Topics 31
2. Bournemouth University MBA Students Research 50
3. Purbeck Society Meeting 54
The Swanage Community Plan: Help shape the future of Swanage!
Bournemouth University / PACE / Ed B ickle. January 200 5 1
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Representatives of the Swanage Town and Community Partnership approached
Bournemouth University’s Partnerships, Access and Community Education (PACE)
office in September 2004 to discuss its involvement in the Swanage Community Plan
and to respond to regional community planning req uirements. Part of this plan was a
community q uestionnaire seeking the views of residents and visitors on their ideas
and opinions of Swanage with the aim of helping to improve the quality of life in
Swanage over the next 10 years. The questionnaire comprised of 4 open ended
questions asking people what they liked about Swanage as well as what improvements
were necessary. The partnership sought assistance from the PACE research team to
provide an independent research analysis, interpretation and evaluation report on data
collected from this questionnaire.
The questionnaires were distributed by the Swanage Town and Community
Partnership through a variety of outlets including the Household and Economic
Regeneration surveys. (The regeneration surv eys were part of a separate piece of
research but the community questionnaire was distributed with these surveys). Other
sources included the Over 60`s club, the Frie nds of Durlston, the Sea Rowing Club as
well as a copy of the questionnaire bei ng published in the Purbeck Gazette. 281
questionnaires were returned including a numb er via e-mail and letters. It is important
to note here that members of PACE were not involved in the q uestionnaire design or
distribution and only became involved once all questionnaires had been returned and
responses had been loaded onto a computerised spreadsheet using Excel.
An interim report was produced in December 2004 detailing the initial findings.
Major emerging themes for each question were displayed as well as sample quotations
of responses and numerical data on the amount of responses by topic area such as
tourism, transport and crime.
As an illustration, some of the major emerging themes for question 2 – ‘What would
you like to change or improve’, were, for example,
• Less litter/cleaner town
• Better public transport
• Sports centre/ improved leisure facilities
• Better/more facilities for the youth
• Pedestrianisation
• More available parking
• Affordable housing
This final report details the background to the study including demographic
information on Swanage and Purbeck and describes the evaluation process before
presenting the results of the returned questi onnaires in detail in sections 7-10. Each
section details schematically the responses, popular responses and quotations which
are typical of the responses received.
Section 12 contextualises some of the findings into a wider context. For example, it
looks at the desire for more affordable housing using comparisons with other sources
of relevant data.
The Swanage Community Plan: Help shape the future of Swanage!
Bournemouth University / PACE / Ed B ickle. January 200 5 2
What then are the key issues arising from this exercise? In one respect all responses
are equally valid as they are people’ s views on what makes Swanage a special place
to live. The responses also illustrate what people think needs to be done to help
improve the q uality of life in the town. Based purely on the greatest number of
comments on a particular subject then transport is the biggest issue.
Based on theamount of comments on a specific individual issue then the following are considered the most important issues to be dealt with;
A sports/leisure facility in Swanage
Better public transport facilities
Less litter
Should other factors such as the possible benefits or costs, the likely beneficiaries
(e.g. local people, tourists, car owners etc) or the value of benefits be considered? To
what extent should the proposals to improve the public transport infrastructure
compete for resources with improved sports facilities in Swanage? These are typical
issues which need consideration by the Town and Community Partnership in the
preparation of the Swanage Community Plan. We hope that their decisions will be
based upon the sound evidence presented in this report drawn from consultation with
the residents of Swanage.
2. B ACKGROUND
The Swanage Town and Community Partnership has established the Swanage
Community Plan with the purpose of developing a plan of community led activities.
The plan asks everyone in Swanage and the surrounding areas to contribute ideas and
opinions, that will “ help to improve the quality of life in Swanage over the next 10
years”.
The aims of this plan are to:
Promote voluntary activity within our community
Attract funding and support from the government agencies and trust funds for
community projects
Promote and develop Swanage Town and Community Partnership
Influence the Purbeck Community Partnership and Purbeck District Council
strategy and planning
The data collected will be analysed to identify major themes and will be put forward
for discussion at public meetings in 2005. These meetings will decide upon major
issues to address, outline appropriate actions and form volunteer action groups to start
work with the Town Partnership to make the plan a reality.
The Swanage Community Plan: Help shape the future of Swanage!
Bournemouth University / PACE / Ed B ickle. January 200 5 3
3. SWANAGE COMMUNITY PLANNING PROJECT QUESTIONNAIRE
Part of the Swanage Community Plan was a questionnaire designed to obtain the
views of residents and visitors on their ideas and opinions of Swanage. The
questionnaire was based on four questions:
i. What do you really like about living or visiting Swanage?
ii. What would you like to change or improve?
iii. What hopes do you have for Swanage in 5-10 years time?
iv. What one thing would improve your quality of life in Swanage?
Questions were open ended and allowed respondents to express their feelings and
opinions on any aspect of Swanage that they felt were important. Respondents were
not required to divulge any personal information such as age or address. A record was
kept of the source from which each questionnaire was returned.
Questionnaires were distributed by a group of volunteers who aimed to get a random,
yet representative, sample of views from the widest possible circulation. For example,
questionnaires were included in the Economic Regeneration Survey, a survey that was
sent to both households and businesses in the Swanage area. Other forms of responses
were collected through ‘on-street interviews’ in venues such as the Tourist
Information Centre and visits to more specific groups such as the Over 60`s Club.
Two other research projects, the Purbeck Society meeting and a report by two groups
of Bournemouth University MBA (Master of Business Administration) students, were
conducted at a similar time and have been incorporated into this report. It should be
noted that members of PACE played no part in the design and execution of these
reports and have merely incorporated the findings from pre-published reports. A
series of ‘post it fairs’ i were also held as part of the community plan. A separate report
was written for this research and both reports should complement each other to
establish common themes rather than be treated as two individual pieces of work.
4. PROFILE OF SWANAGE
The population of Swanage at the time of the 2001 Census was 10,124. For the
purposes of the Census, Swanage was split into 2 areas, Swanage South (5,955
residents) and Swanage North (4,169) . The following figures are based on 2001
Census data and includes information on Purbeck Unitary Authority, to which both
Swanage North and South fall into.
i People were invited to write their ideas on post-it notes and were prompted to place them on display
boards under one of ten categories. This set of display boards was taken to a wide variety of public places, group meetings and other events
Figure 1 – Resident Population by Gender
Chart does not transfer to this site
ONS 2001 Census
In both Swanage and Purbeck there is a greater percentage of female residents. (52%
of residents in Swanage South and Purbeck are female whilst 55% of Swanage North
residents are female).
Figure 2 – Resident Population by Age
Source: ONS 2001 Census
Whilst Swanage North has over 10% more residents aged over 75 than both Swanage
South and Purbeck there are considerably fewer 30-59 year olds and, to a lesser
extent, young people under 16 living in Swanage North.
Figure 3 – Resident Population by Economic Activity
As can be seen from figure 3 Swanage North has a higher percentage of retired
residents than Swanage South and Purbeck thus leading to a lower employment rate
(by over 10%).
Figure 4 – Resident Population by Qualifications
In terms of qualifications Swanage has a lower than national average for the
percentage of residents qualified to at least degree level. In terms of the number of
residents with no qualifications, however, Swanage has a better record than the
national average.
5. METHODOLOGY
Once the questionnaires were returned the responses were entered into an Excel
spreadsheet. As many responses to questions contained multiple responses on
differing subject areas each individual response was assigned as a separate
‘comment’. On this basis there were 2556 lines of data or comments. As this was the
chosen method of analysis results were displayed by the number of comments rather
than by the number of people responding. It was at this point that members of the
PACE research team were approached (September 2004) for a professional,
independent analysis of the data collected. After studying the data that had already
been produced the PACE research team decided to follow a four stage plan for the
evaluation process;
i. Categorise each response into broad areas such as law & order,
transport and the environment by question.
ii. Establish sub categories within the categories such as transport –
parking, public transport and traffic.
iii. Initially carry out a top level analysis of responses by question i.e.
amount of comments concerning tourism, local facilities etc.
iv. Then take each category area and carry out a more detailed analysis of
comments and establish trends, key points etc. At this point
supplementary data was fed into the report.
During the analysis it will be established whether there is any bias in certain
responses. For example where there a number of responses on a particular subject
from groups who may have a vested interest in the subject?
In any research there are limitations and drawbacks to the data gathered. It was
established that the following factors were considered limitations in evaluating data
from the Swanage Community Plan questionnaire;
i. As PACE research staff did not design the questionnaire they could not
ensure that the research data received would be of sufficient depth to
produce a detailed report to contribute to the Swanage Community
Plan.
ii. With no personal data recorded on the questionnaires, such as age and
gender, it is difficult to ascertain whether the responses represent a fair
sample of the population of Swanage and does not allow comparisons
to be made between differing groups within Swanage. It should be
noted here that ages were obtained for the participants of the Purbeck
Society meeting.
iii. Similarly, respondents were not asked where in Swanage they lived.
Therefore it was not possible to establish whether certain responses
could be linked by location. For example, if a lot of people commented
on the fact that there was a lack of sufficient parking were a majority
of these from people living in a certain area within Swanage?
iv. As all questions were open-ended, an alysis of the data was far more
complex and time consuming than if they had been closed questions as
these can be analysed by inputting data into a computer package. This
type of questionnaire design can also lead to a less sophisticated
evaluation.
v. The source of 16.8% of the questionnaires returned were recorded as
‘ miscellaneous’ and therefore could not be attributed to a particular
source.
vi. There was no indication as to whether hard-to-reach groups such as
residents with additional learning needs have been represented. A
supplementary report on the responses to the questionnaire from 68
young people who are students at Swanage Middle School will be
available in February 2005.
It is important to note that the collection of data was undertaken primarily by
volunteers and these limitations should not detract from the richness and quality of the
data gathered on limited resources. The open-ended questions gave the respondent a
‘free reign’ allowing them to express their views and opinions on whatever they
deemed appropriate rather than forcing opinions on certain topics.
6. RESPONSE TO THE SURV EY
Altogether 321 questionnaires were return ed, including 40 from the Purbeck Society
meeting (some questionnaires were returned in the form of letters or e-mails) . Replies
were received from 22 different sources. As there is no record of the number of
questionnaires originally handed out a res ponse rate could not be established. The
numbers of replies from each source are detailed below;
Table 1 – Responses to the Questionnaire
Number of
replies
% of returned
questionnaires
Household Economic
Regeneration Survey
96 29.9
Purbeck Society 40 12.5
Miscellaneous Economic
Regeneration Survey*
35 10.9
Business Economic
Regeneration Survey
24 7.5
Reply in Purbeck Gazette 21 6.5
Miscellaneous 19 5.9
Friends of Durlston 15 4.7
Over 60`s club 10 3.1
Alliance & Leicester 10 3.1
League of Friends 8 2.5
Transport evening 7 2.2
Tourist Information Centre 6 1.9
Sea Rowing Club 5 1.6
Co-op 5 1.6
E-Mail 4 1.2
Select and Save 3 0.9
Letter 3 0.9
Mothers & Toddlers 2 0.6
Swanage Youth Club 2 0.6
Number of
replies
% of returned
questionnaires
Railway platform 2 0.6
Sailing Club 2 0.6
Corfe Castle Coffee Morning 1 0.3
Tuesday Market 1 0.3
TOTAL 3 2 1 100%
*It was not possible to establish whether these questionnai res had been returned from the Household or Business
Economic Regeneration Survey.
As can be seen from the table above nearly half (48% ) of the returned questionnaires
were received from the Economic Regeneration Survey. Whilst this does not detract
from the findings it does mean that the opinions of people responding through the
Regeneration Survey will be more represented than responses from, for example, the
Mothers and Toddlers group where only 2 questionnaires were returned. This is not to
say that responses from small groups were not treated as equally important.
7 . DATA ANALYSIS - QUESTION 1
What follows is a detailed analysis of the responses to the community questionnaire.
For each question there is a summary of the most popular comments and a breakdown
of responses by topic as well as sample quotations.
What’s the best thing ab ou t living in Sw anage?
There were 918 responses to this question covering a wide variety of areas. A great
deal of these responses centred upon the location and surroundings, with the scenery
and environment receiving 49.1% of all re sponses. The top 10 individual responses
are detailed in figure 5.
Table 2 – Responses to Question 1 by Topic
...sorry data does not transfer
SEA/COAST
COUNTRYSIDE
PEOPLE
WALKING OPPORTUNITIES
SCENARY/ VIEWS
SAFETY
SMALL TOWN
BEACH
HEALTH CARE
PEACEAND QUIET
Typical responses included;
Unspoilt charm of West Country seaside resort (Miscellaneous Regeneration Survey)
Beautiful place with atmospheres according to the season ( Housing Economic
Regeneration Survey)
It is a wonderful area to live in with wonderful scenery all around and a very friendly
place (Sailing Club)
Excellent opportunities to enjoy countryside (Select & Save)
Close to coast and countryside (Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
Of the 451 comments on Scenery and the Environment there were 38 differing
responses. The most popular responses are detailed below.
Figure 6 - Major Responses in Scenery and the Environment
Nearly 1 in 5 responses centred on local facilities and services with the top 5
responses in this category being;
Health care (26 comments)
Clubs/activities (15)
The steam railway (13)
Small independent shops (10)
The pier (7)
In addition to the above comments, shopping facilities in Swanage came in for praise.
Comments included the good range of shops (6), access to shops (5), sufficient shops
(5) and shops in general (5).
There was much talk about the people of Swanage (68 comments) as well as the
feeling of safety (32) and the pace of life (20).
The friendly behaviour of many residents (Purbeck Gazette)
Small friendly town ( Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
Safe area to bring up children ( Business Economic Regeneration Survey)
There was a whole range of other reasons why people like and value Swanage and
these are displayed in appendix 1.
8. DATA ANALYSIS – QUESTION 2
What would you like to change or improve?
There were 699 comments on question 2 w ith transport (187 comments) being the
single most talked about topic, followed by the environment (152) and tourism (100).
Table 3 – Responses to Question 2 by Topic
The major themes for discussion emerging from this question were as follows;
Less litter/cleaner town (36 comments)
Better public transport (25)
Sports centre/ improved le isure facilities (22)
Better/more facilities for the youth (19)
Pedestrianisation (17)
More available parking (16)
Affordable housing (16)
More police presence (14)
Better public toilets (14)
More quality shops (13)
The problems with litter, the need for an improved public transport network, facilities,
especially for the young, and better public toilets were also included as main findings
in the MBA students research.
8.1 CRIME
Fewer than 5% (33 comments) of responses to question 2 relate to crime. Those that
do focus on two key areas; more police pres ence and control of antisocial behaviour
including vandalism and under age drinking.
More police on foot talking to people ( Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
Anti-social young people who can disrupt business ( Business Economic Regeneration
Survey)
More police patrols at night to rid town of foul mouthed youths ( Housing Economic
Regeneration Survey)
With over 40% of comments on crime being about more police presence there is a
feeling that it is not crime levels that worry Swanage residents but more the fear of
crime. The quotation below taken from the Purbeck section of the Dorset Police force
backs up this theory.
‘Crime levels are low but public demand and expectation is high. Community policing
remains one of our top priorities and reassurance to the public is a prime focus’.
Similarly, the concern by residents about anti social behaviour, especially by young
people in Swanage is recognised by the local police force.
‘There is close monitoring of antisocial behaviour incidents, which has lead to a
small number of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders being issued to curtail such ongoing
behaviour’
8.2 HOUSING & THE ECONOMY
Comments on housing and the economy focus on 2 areas; the desire to see the
reduction in the number of flat conversions (21) and the need for affordable housing
(16).
The Swanage Community Plan: Help shape the future of Swanage!
Bournemouth University / PACE / Ed B ickle. January 200 5 12
Stop knocking buildings down for flats (Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
No more conversion of hotels into flats (Over 60's Club)
Cheaper housing to promote a more mixed community (Friends of Durlston)
Other responses include restrictions on second homes (5), more employment
opportunities (5), improvements in the a ppearance of properties (3) and housing
priority for locals (3). A more detailed discussion surrounding housing is included in
section12.2.
8.3 ENVIRONMENT
Within the environment the most common response centred on the desire for a cleaner
Swanage with less litter (36). Other popular responses included improving public
toilets (14), renovating/tidying up the Pier Head site (12), less dog fouling (10) and
banning/regulating jet skis (7).
More rubbish bins for litter in summer along seafront and popular areas
(Miscellaneous)
Street and dog rubbish collection improved (Tourist Information Centre)
Empty rubbish bins on seafront and square more frequently in summer ( Housing
Economic Regeneration Survey)
8.4 LOCAL FACILITIES
Comments on local facilities focus on the shops in Swanage including respondents
wanting to see more ‘quality shops’ (13), more/better supermarkets (12), improved
shopping facilities (4), a change in the op ening times of shops and cafes (3) and
everyday shops, not just seasonal shops (2).
Improve shop quality - move upmarket ( Business Economic Regeneration Survey)
Encourage wider variety of shops and business into town (Housing Economic
Regeneration Survey)
G ood supermarket: not a blot on the landscape ( Housing Economic Regeneration
Survey)
There a number of individual comments relating to this question. A full list is
available in appendix 1 but a selection of areas that could be considered include:
Better availability of adult education ( Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
More or better use of local parks ( Transport Evening)
Library facilities - more hours - more books - wider range (H ousing Economic
Regeneration Survey)
Community Centre for all with long opening hours ( Housing Economic Regeneration
Survey)
8.5 TOURISM
Within tourism there were a variety of issues highlighted by respondents. The most
popular responses are detailed below;
Figure 7 – Main Responses Under Tourism
Stop the demolition of
hotels/more hotels
Better quality café and
restaurants
Make Swanage more
upmarket
Get rid of amusement
arcades
Rebuild/replace/knock
down Mowlem
Improve tourist industry
A Marina
Rebuild beach/beach
facilities
Stop demolishing hotels ( Transport Evening)
Less development of hotels into flats (Sea Rowing Club)
Develop open-air environment: cafes etc (Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
Move away from tacky seaside resort image (Tourist Information Centre)
There was a whole range of individual responses suggesting improvements to tourist
facilities and activities including;
Facilities for those who use the seas other than for bathing ( Transport Evening)
Mowlem Theatre could be a cultural Arts Centre and a credit to the local community,
tourists and its trustees. An imaginative redevelopment is required as soon as
possible for this prime site ( Tuesday Market)
Wide range of music concerts ( Purbeck Gazette)
Raise status of bandstand - lucky to have one ( Miscellaneous)
8.6 HEALTH AND FITNESS
There were 27 comments relating to health and fitness of which 22 stated the need for
a sports centre or improved leisure facilities.
Sports centre with full sized swimming pool ( Transport Evening)
Leisure Centre - variety of facilities serving all community (Housing Economic
Regeneration Survey)
Build a Sports Centre ( Alliance and Leicester)
The Swanage Community Plan: Help shape the future of Swanage!
Bournemouth University / PACE / Ed B ickle. January 200 5 14
A more detailed discussion on the need for improved sports facilities is available in
section 12.4.
8.7 TRANSPORT
Transport is seen as the most important area of discussion in Question 2 with 26.8%
(187) of all comments. Opinions are pr edominantly focused on public transport,
pedestrianisation, parking and road management/traffic control. Some key areas for
discussion are detailed below:
The need for better public transport facilities (25)
Pedestrianisation (17)
More available parking (16)
Problems with/ the need to change the one-way system (15)
Problems with traffic and traffic control (13)
More parking for/ free pa rking for residents (11)
An improved/ cheaper bus service (9)
Cheaper/free parking (9)
More buses and a train service ( Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
Parking arrangements are appalling (Purbeck Gazette)
Pedestrianise town centre and Shore Road ( Tourist Information Centre)
One-way system changed ( League of Friends)
Clearly the responses indicate that public transport is an important issue for the
respondents. The rural nature of Dorset and, indeed, many parts of the South West in
general poses particular problems in public transport provision. In the South West, for
example, 79% of households live within a 13 minute walk of a bus stop compared to
the overall average for England of 89% ii . A more detailed discussion on public
transport is included with section 12.3.
8.8 YOUTH FACILITIES
65.5% of comments about youth facilities centred on the need for more and improved
facilities and activities for the younger members of the community.
Children’s play area: need more bigger and better (Purbeck G azette)
Provision of more facilities and places for young people (Business Economic
Regeneration Survey)
The remaining responses focused very much on the same issues, for example;
ii Regional Transport Statistics November 2004. Sample sizes South West 1,500 Households, England
13,355 households.
The Swanage Community Plan: Help shape the future of Swanage!
Bournemouth University / PACE / Ed B ickle. January 200 5 15
Things to be more child friendly (Methodist Church Mums and Toddlers)
Beach showers for children (Tourist Information Centre)
9. DATA ANALYSIS – QUESTION 3
What hopes do you have for Swanage in 5-10 years time?
There were over 600 comments on this question with 45% of the comments
concerning tourism or housing & the economy.
Table 4 – Responses to Question 3 by Topic
Main discussion points include;
That there is no or little change in Swanage (56)
Improved/more sports & leisure facilities (24)
More affordable housing especially for the young (23)
Rail link to Wareham (22)
Swanage remains a tourist town and an increased role for tourism (17)
Better public transport (14)
More jobs/ better employment prospects (14)
More balanced community in terms of age (13)
Less building of flats (12)
Emerging themes from Purbeck Society meeting:
• Retain Swanage as a seaside town whilst maintaining its natural environment
• Greater integrated public transport
• No major developments but development of services such as greater facilities
for young people, development of light industry, improvements in the
Mowlem and introduce more community facilities
• Encourage young people to stay in the town with affordable housing and better
work possibilities
9.1 CRIME
There is very little comment on law and order in question 3 with only 19 comments
(3.1%) of all responses. As with question 2 a greater police presence and the control
of anti social behaviour are seen as the key crime issues.
Curb unruly behaviour of yobs ( Miscellaneous Regeneration Survey)
Less vandalism and criminal damage (Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
9.2 HOUSING & THE ECONOMY
Affordable housing is again one of the key issues arising in this category with 23
comments.
Affordable housing for young people (Tourist Information Centre)
More subsidised affordable housing for local families (Purbeck Gazette)
Other popular responses include more jobs/ b etter job prospects (14), less building of
flats (12), fewer second homes (10) and to become more upmarket (6).
Better job prospects (Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
A cessation of hotel to flat conversions (Co-Operative Stores)
Less second homes and retirement homes (Business Economic Regeneration Survey)
9.3 ENVIRONMENT
As in question 2 comments on the environment focus on the wish to see a cleaner
Swanage with less litter (9). It is worth noting that only 6.6% of all responses to
question 3 concerned the environment compared to 21.7% for question 2.
Better refuse collection in town centre (Miscellaneous)
Improved rubbish/ litter coll ection from public places ( Miscellaneous Regeneration
Survey)
Other responses included a reduction in the amount of building work (4), better toilets
(3), less dog waste (2) and preservation of open spaces (2).
9.4 LOCAL FACILITIES
Major responses to this topic tend to relate to the shops within Swanage as well as
facilities in general. The top five responses were as follows:
• Improved supermarkets (9)
• More/ improved facilities (9)
• Better shops (6)
The Swanage Community Plan: Help shape the future of Swanage!
Bournemouth University / PACE / Ed B ickle. January 200 5 17
• Community centre/ hall (5)
• More/ better adult education facilities (4)
Larger supermarket with wider choice (Miscellaneous Regeneration Survey)
Local facilities are improved (Sea Rowing Club)
Not all shops should be tacky: some should be better quality (Housing Economic
Regeneration Survey)
There is also some mention about healthcare facilities in the town (9) including;
That it treasures and protects its Community Hospital (Friends of Durlston)
Continuation/ improvement of day care facilities (Miscellaneous)
from Page 18 (9.5 TOURISM continued as separate Post .....
PLANNING PROJECT
QUESTIONNAIRE
Analysis undertaken by Partnerships, Access and
Community Education Office of Bournemouth University
on behalf of the Swanage Town and Community Partnership
Ed Bickle PACE
Bournemouth University
6 th Floor Royal London House
Christchurch Road
Bournemouth BH1 3LT
Tel: 01202 962781
E Mail: ebickle@bournemouth.ac.uk
January 2005
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
With thanks to The Swanage Town and Community
Partnership who funded the consultation exercise
Our sincere thanks to all those residents of Swanage and
visitors who gave their time to participate in the research
and consultation exercise and to the volunteers who
helped to collect the data to make this report possible
Thank you also to Alan Leeson, Town Clerk Swanage
Town Council and Roger Seaman from Dorset
Community Action
The PACE 1 team
Researcher
Ed Bickle
With advice and guidance from:
Christos Apostolakis
Nadeem Hai
Suzanne Hume
1 PACE: Partnerships, Access and Community Education. A support service of Bournemouth
University
Contents
Page
1. Executive Summary 1
2. Background 2
3. Swanage Community Planning Project Questionnaire 3
4. Profile of Swanage 3
5. Methodology 5
6. Response to the Survey 7
7. Data Analysis – Question 1 8
8. Data Analysis – Question 2 10
8.1 Crime 11
8.2 Housing & The Economy 11
8.3 Environment 12
8.4 Local Facilities 12
8.5 Tourism 13
8.6 Health & Fitness 13
8.7 Transport 14
8.8 Youth Facilities 14
9. Data Analysis – Question 3 15
9.1 Crime 16
9.2 Housing & The Economy 16
9.3 Environment 16
9.4 Local Facilities 16
9.5 Tourism 17
9.6 Health & Fitness 18
9.7 Transport 18
10. Data Analysis - Question 4 18
10.1 Crime 19
10.2 Housing & The Economy 20
10.3 Environment 20
10.4 Local Facilities 21
10.5 Tourism & Entertainment 21
10.6 Health & Fitness 22
10.7 Transport 22
10.8 Purbeck Society meeting 23
11. Data Analysis – Cumulative Totals 23
12. The Wider Picture 24
12.1 Law & Order 24
12.2 Affordable Housing 25
12.3 Transport 26
12.4 Sports Centre 27
13. Key Issues for Discussion 29
14. Conclusion 29
15. Appendices 31
1. All Answers by Questions and Topics 31
2. Bournemouth University MBA Students Research 50
3. Purbeck Society Meeting 54
The Swanage Community Plan: Help shape the future of Swanage!
Bournemouth University / PACE / Ed B ickle. January 200 5 1
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Representatives of the Swanage Town and Community Partnership approached
Bournemouth University’s Partnerships, Access and Community Education (PACE)
office in September 2004 to discuss its involvement in the Swanage Community Plan
and to respond to regional community planning req uirements. Part of this plan was a
community q uestionnaire seeking the views of residents and visitors on their ideas
and opinions of Swanage with the aim of helping to improve the quality of life in
Swanage over the next 10 years. The questionnaire comprised of 4 open ended
questions asking people what they liked about Swanage as well as what improvements
were necessary. The partnership sought assistance from the PACE research team to
provide an independent research analysis, interpretation and evaluation report on data
collected from this questionnaire.
The questionnaires were distributed by the Swanage Town and Community
Partnership through a variety of outlets including the Household and Economic
Regeneration surveys. (The regeneration surv eys were part of a separate piece of
research but the community questionnaire was distributed with these surveys). Other
sources included the Over 60`s club, the Frie nds of Durlston, the Sea Rowing Club as
well as a copy of the questionnaire bei ng published in the Purbeck Gazette. 281
questionnaires were returned including a numb er via e-mail and letters. It is important
to note here that members of PACE were not involved in the q uestionnaire design or
distribution and only became involved once all questionnaires had been returned and
responses had been loaded onto a computerised spreadsheet using Excel.
An interim report was produced in December 2004 detailing the initial findings.
Major emerging themes for each question were displayed as well as sample quotations
of responses and numerical data on the amount of responses by topic area such as
tourism, transport and crime.
As an illustration, some of the major emerging themes for question 2 – ‘What would
you like to change or improve’, were, for example,
• Less litter/cleaner town
• Better public transport
• Sports centre/ improved leisure facilities
• Better/more facilities for the youth
• Pedestrianisation
• More available parking
• Affordable housing
This final report details the background to the study including demographic
information on Swanage and Purbeck and describes the evaluation process before
presenting the results of the returned questi onnaires in detail in sections 7-10. Each
section details schematically the responses, popular responses and quotations which
are typical of the responses received.
Section 12 contextualises some of the findings into a wider context. For example, it
looks at the desire for more affordable housing using comparisons with other sources
of relevant data.
The Swanage Community Plan: Help shape the future of Swanage!
Bournemouth University / PACE / Ed B ickle. January 200 5 2
What then are the key issues arising from this exercise? In one respect all responses
are equally valid as they are people’ s views on what makes Swanage a special place
to live. The responses also illustrate what people think needs to be done to help
improve the q uality of life in the town. Based purely on the greatest number of
comments on a particular subject then transport is the biggest issue.
Based on theamount of comments on a specific individual issue then the following are considered the most important issues to be dealt with;
A sports/leisure facility in Swanage
Better public transport facilities
Less litter
Should other factors such as the possible benefits or costs, the likely beneficiaries
(e.g. local people, tourists, car owners etc) or the value of benefits be considered? To
what extent should the proposals to improve the public transport infrastructure
compete for resources with improved sports facilities in Swanage? These are typical
issues which need consideration by the Town and Community Partnership in the
preparation of the Swanage Community Plan. We hope that their decisions will be
based upon the sound evidence presented in this report drawn from consultation with
the residents of Swanage.
2. B ACKGROUND
The Swanage Town and Community Partnership has established the Swanage
Community Plan with the purpose of developing a plan of community led activities.
The plan asks everyone in Swanage and the surrounding areas to contribute ideas and
opinions, that will “ help to improve the quality of life in Swanage over the next 10
years”.
The aims of this plan are to:
Promote voluntary activity within our community
Attract funding and support from the government agencies and trust funds for
community projects
Promote and develop Swanage Town and Community Partnership
Influence the Purbeck Community Partnership and Purbeck District Council
strategy and planning
The data collected will be analysed to identify major themes and will be put forward
for discussion at public meetings in 2005. These meetings will decide upon major
issues to address, outline appropriate actions and form volunteer action groups to start
work with the Town Partnership to make the plan a reality.
The Swanage Community Plan: Help shape the future of Swanage!
Bournemouth University / PACE / Ed B ickle. January 200 5 3
3. SWANAGE COMMUNITY PLANNING PROJECT QUESTIONNAIRE
Part of the Swanage Community Plan was a questionnaire designed to obtain the
views of residents and visitors on their ideas and opinions of Swanage. The
questionnaire was based on four questions:
i. What do you really like about living or visiting Swanage?
ii. What would you like to change or improve?
iii. What hopes do you have for Swanage in 5-10 years time?
iv. What one thing would improve your quality of life in Swanage?
Questions were open ended and allowed respondents to express their feelings and
opinions on any aspect of Swanage that they felt were important. Respondents were
not required to divulge any personal information such as age or address. A record was
kept of the source from which each questionnaire was returned.
Questionnaires were distributed by a group of volunteers who aimed to get a random,
yet representative, sample of views from the widest possible circulation. For example,
questionnaires were included in the Economic Regeneration Survey, a survey that was
sent to both households and businesses in the Swanage area. Other forms of responses
were collected through ‘on-street interviews’ in venues such as the Tourist
Information Centre and visits to more specific groups such as the Over 60`s Club.
Two other research projects, the Purbeck Society meeting and a report by two groups
of Bournemouth University MBA (Master of Business Administration) students, were
conducted at a similar time and have been incorporated into this report. It should be
noted that members of PACE played no part in the design and execution of these
reports and have merely incorporated the findings from pre-published reports. A
series of ‘post it fairs’ i were also held as part of the community plan. A separate report
was written for this research and both reports should complement each other to
establish common themes rather than be treated as two individual pieces of work.
4. PROFILE OF SWANAGE
The population of Swanage at the time of the 2001 Census was 10,124. For the
purposes of the Census, Swanage was split into 2 areas, Swanage South (5,955
residents) and Swanage North (4,169) . The following figures are based on 2001
Census data and includes information on Purbeck Unitary Authority, to which both
Swanage North and South fall into.
i People were invited to write their ideas on post-it notes and were prompted to place them on display
boards under one of ten categories. This set of display boards was taken to a wide variety of public places, group meetings and other events
Figure 1 – Resident Population by Gender
Chart does not transfer to this site
ONS 2001 Census
In both Swanage and Purbeck there is a greater percentage of female residents. (52%
of residents in Swanage South and Purbeck are female whilst 55% of Swanage North
residents are female).
Figure 2 – Resident Population by Age
Source: ONS 2001 Census
Whilst Swanage North has over 10% more residents aged over 75 than both Swanage
South and Purbeck there are considerably fewer 30-59 year olds and, to a lesser
extent, young people under 16 living in Swanage North.
Figure 3 – Resident Population by Economic Activity
As can be seen from figure 3 Swanage North has a higher percentage of retired
residents than Swanage South and Purbeck thus leading to a lower employment rate
(by over 10%).
Figure 4 – Resident Population by Qualifications
In terms of qualifications Swanage has a lower than national average for the
percentage of residents qualified to at least degree level. In terms of the number of
residents with no qualifications, however, Swanage has a better record than the
national average.
5. METHODOLOGY
Once the questionnaires were returned the responses were entered into an Excel
spreadsheet. As many responses to questions contained multiple responses on
differing subject areas each individual response was assigned as a separate
‘comment’. On this basis there were 2556 lines of data or comments. As this was the
chosen method of analysis results were displayed by the number of comments rather
than by the number of people responding. It was at this point that members of the
PACE research team were approached (September 2004) for a professional,
independent analysis of the data collected. After studying the data that had already
been produced the PACE research team decided to follow a four stage plan for the
evaluation process;
i. Categorise each response into broad areas such as law & order,
transport and the environment by question.
ii. Establish sub categories within the categories such as transport –
parking, public transport and traffic.
iii. Initially carry out a top level analysis of responses by question i.e.
amount of comments concerning tourism, local facilities etc.
iv. Then take each category area and carry out a more detailed analysis of
comments and establish trends, key points etc. At this point
supplementary data was fed into the report.
During the analysis it will be established whether there is any bias in certain
responses. For example where there a number of responses on a particular subject
from groups who may have a vested interest in the subject?
In any research there are limitations and drawbacks to the data gathered. It was
established that the following factors were considered limitations in evaluating data
from the Swanage Community Plan questionnaire;
i. As PACE research staff did not design the questionnaire they could not
ensure that the research data received would be of sufficient depth to
produce a detailed report to contribute to the Swanage Community
Plan.
ii. With no personal data recorded on the questionnaires, such as age and
gender, it is difficult to ascertain whether the responses represent a fair
sample of the population of Swanage and does not allow comparisons
to be made between differing groups within Swanage. It should be
noted here that ages were obtained for the participants of the Purbeck
Society meeting.
iii. Similarly, respondents were not asked where in Swanage they lived.
Therefore it was not possible to establish whether certain responses
could be linked by location. For example, if a lot of people commented
on the fact that there was a lack of sufficient parking were a majority
of these from people living in a certain area within Swanage?
iv. As all questions were open-ended, an alysis of the data was far more
complex and time consuming than if they had been closed questions as
these can be analysed by inputting data into a computer package. This
type of questionnaire design can also lead to a less sophisticated
evaluation.
v. The source of 16.8% of the questionnaires returned were recorded as
‘ miscellaneous’ and therefore could not be attributed to a particular
source.
vi. There was no indication as to whether hard-to-reach groups such as
residents with additional learning needs have been represented. A
supplementary report on the responses to the questionnaire from 68
young people who are students at Swanage Middle School will be
available in February 2005.
It is important to note that the collection of data was undertaken primarily by
volunteers and these limitations should not detract from the richness and quality of the
data gathered on limited resources. The open-ended questions gave the respondent a
‘free reign’ allowing them to express their views and opinions on whatever they
deemed appropriate rather than forcing opinions on certain topics.
6. RESPONSE TO THE SURV EY
Altogether 321 questionnaires were return ed, including 40 from the Purbeck Society
meeting (some questionnaires were returned in the form of letters or e-mails) . Replies
were received from 22 different sources. As there is no record of the number of
questionnaires originally handed out a res ponse rate could not be established. The
numbers of replies from each source are detailed below;
Table 1 – Responses to the Questionnaire
Number of
replies
% of returned
questionnaires
Household Economic
Regeneration Survey
96 29.9
Purbeck Society 40 12.5
Miscellaneous Economic
Regeneration Survey*
35 10.9
Business Economic
Regeneration Survey
24 7.5
Reply in Purbeck Gazette 21 6.5
Miscellaneous 19 5.9
Friends of Durlston 15 4.7
Over 60`s club 10 3.1
Alliance & Leicester 10 3.1
League of Friends 8 2.5
Transport evening 7 2.2
Tourist Information Centre 6 1.9
Sea Rowing Club 5 1.6
Co-op 5 1.6
E-Mail 4 1.2
Select and Save 3 0.9
Letter 3 0.9
Mothers & Toddlers 2 0.6
Swanage Youth Club 2 0.6
Number of
replies
% of returned
questionnaires
Railway platform 2 0.6
Sailing Club 2 0.6
Corfe Castle Coffee Morning 1 0.3
Tuesday Market 1 0.3
TOTAL 3 2 1 100%
*It was not possible to establish whether these questionnai res had been returned from the Household or Business
Economic Regeneration Survey.
As can be seen from the table above nearly half (48% ) of the returned questionnaires
were received from the Economic Regeneration Survey. Whilst this does not detract
from the findings it does mean that the opinions of people responding through the
Regeneration Survey will be more represented than responses from, for example, the
Mothers and Toddlers group where only 2 questionnaires were returned. This is not to
say that responses from small groups were not treated as equally important.
7 . DATA ANALYSIS - QUESTION 1
What follows is a detailed analysis of the responses to the community questionnaire.
For each question there is a summary of the most popular comments and a breakdown
of responses by topic as well as sample quotations.
What’s the best thing ab ou t living in Sw anage?
There were 918 responses to this question covering a wide variety of areas. A great
deal of these responses centred upon the location and surroundings, with the scenery
and environment receiving 49.1% of all re sponses. The top 10 individual responses
are detailed in figure 5.
Table 2 – Responses to Question 1 by Topic
...sorry data does not transfer
SEA/COAST
COUNTRYSIDE
PEOPLE
WALKING OPPORTUNITIES
SCENARY/ VIEWS
SAFETY
SMALL TOWN
BEACH
HEALTH CARE
PEACEAND QUIET
Typical responses included;
Unspoilt charm of West Country seaside resort (Miscellaneous Regeneration Survey)
Beautiful place with atmospheres according to the season ( Housing Economic
Regeneration Survey)
It is a wonderful area to live in with wonderful scenery all around and a very friendly
place (Sailing Club)
Excellent opportunities to enjoy countryside (Select & Save)
Close to coast and countryside (Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
Of the 451 comments on Scenery and the Environment there were 38 differing
responses. The most popular responses are detailed below.
Figure 6 - Major Responses in Scenery and the Environment
Nearly 1 in 5 responses centred on local facilities and services with the top 5
responses in this category being;
Health care (26 comments)
Clubs/activities (15)
The steam railway (13)
Small independent shops (10)
The pier (7)
In addition to the above comments, shopping facilities in Swanage came in for praise.
Comments included the good range of shops (6), access to shops (5), sufficient shops
(5) and shops in general (5).
There was much talk about the people of Swanage (68 comments) as well as the
feeling of safety (32) and the pace of life (20).
The friendly behaviour of many residents (Purbeck Gazette)
Small friendly town ( Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
Safe area to bring up children ( Business Economic Regeneration Survey)
There was a whole range of other reasons why people like and value Swanage and
these are displayed in appendix 1.
8. DATA ANALYSIS – QUESTION 2
What would you like to change or improve?
There were 699 comments on question 2 w ith transport (187 comments) being the
single most talked about topic, followed by the environment (152) and tourism (100).
Table 3 – Responses to Question 2 by Topic
The major themes for discussion emerging from this question were as follows;
Less litter/cleaner town (36 comments)
Better public transport (25)
Sports centre/ improved le isure facilities (22)
Better/more facilities for the youth (19)
Pedestrianisation (17)
More available parking (16)
Affordable housing (16)
More police presence (14)
Better public toilets (14)
More quality shops (13)
The problems with litter, the need for an improved public transport network, facilities,
especially for the young, and better public toilets were also included as main findings
in the MBA students research.
8.1 CRIME
Fewer than 5% (33 comments) of responses to question 2 relate to crime. Those that
do focus on two key areas; more police pres ence and control of antisocial behaviour
including vandalism and under age drinking.
More police on foot talking to people ( Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
Anti-social young people who can disrupt business ( Business Economic Regeneration
Survey)
More police patrols at night to rid town of foul mouthed youths ( Housing Economic
Regeneration Survey)
With over 40% of comments on crime being about more police presence there is a
feeling that it is not crime levels that worry Swanage residents but more the fear of
crime. The quotation below taken from the Purbeck section of the Dorset Police force
backs up this theory.
‘Crime levels are low but public demand and expectation is high. Community policing
remains one of our top priorities and reassurance to the public is a prime focus’.
Similarly, the concern by residents about anti social behaviour, especially by young
people in Swanage is recognised by the local police force.
‘There is close monitoring of antisocial behaviour incidents, which has lead to a
small number of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders being issued to curtail such ongoing
behaviour’
8.2 HOUSING & THE ECONOMY
Comments on housing and the economy focus on 2 areas; the desire to see the
reduction in the number of flat conversions (21) and the need for affordable housing
(16).
The Swanage Community Plan: Help shape the future of Swanage!
Bournemouth University / PACE / Ed B ickle. January 200 5 12
Stop knocking buildings down for flats (Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
No more conversion of hotels into flats (Over 60's Club)
Cheaper housing to promote a more mixed community (Friends of Durlston)
Other responses include restrictions on second homes (5), more employment
opportunities (5), improvements in the a ppearance of properties (3) and housing
priority for locals (3). A more detailed discussion surrounding housing is included in
section12.2.
8.3 ENVIRONMENT
Within the environment the most common response centred on the desire for a cleaner
Swanage with less litter (36). Other popular responses included improving public
toilets (14), renovating/tidying up the Pier Head site (12), less dog fouling (10) and
banning/regulating jet skis (7).
More rubbish bins for litter in summer along seafront and popular areas
(Miscellaneous)
Street and dog rubbish collection improved (Tourist Information Centre)
Empty rubbish bins on seafront and square more frequently in summer ( Housing
Economic Regeneration Survey)
8.4 LOCAL FACILITIES
Comments on local facilities focus on the shops in Swanage including respondents
wanting to see more ‘quality shops’ (13), more/better supermarkets (12), improved
shopping facilities (4), a change in the op ening times of shops and cafes (3) and
everyday shops, not just seasonal shops (2).
Improve shop quality - move upmarket ( Business Economic Regeneration Survey)
Encourage wider variety of shops and business into town (Housing Economic
Regeneration Survey)
G ood supermarket: not a blot on the landscape ( Housing Economic Regeneration
Survey)
There a number of individual comments relating to this question. A full list is
available in appendix 1 but a selection of areas that could be considered include:
Better availability of adult education ( Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
More or better use of local parks ( Transport Evening)
Library facilities - more hours - more books - wider range (H ousing Economic
Regeneration Survey)
Community Centre for all with long opening hours ( Housing Economic Regeneration
Survey)
8.5 TOURISM
Within tourism there were a variety of issues highlighted by respondents. The most
popular responses are detailed below;
Figure 7 – Main Responses Under Tourism
Stop the demolition of
hotels/more hotels
Better quality café and
restaurants
Make Swanage more
upmarket
Get rid of amusement
arcades
Rebuild/replace/knock
down Mowlem
Improve tourist industry
A Marina
Rebuild beach/beach
facilities
Stop demolishing hotels ( Transport Evening)
Less development of hotels into flats (Sea Rowing Club)
Develop open-air environment: cafes etc (Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
Move away from tacky seaside resort image (Tourist Information Centre)
There was a whole range of individual responses suggesting improvements to tourist
facilities and activities including;
Facilities for those who use the seas other than for bathing ( Transport Evening)
Mowlem Theatre could be a cultural Arts Centre and a credit to the local community,
tourists and its trustees. An imaginative redevelopment is required as soon as
possible for this prime site ( Tuesday Market)
Wide range of music concerts ( Purbeck Gazette)
Raise status of bandstand - lucky to have one ( Miscellaneous)
8.6 HEALTH AND FITNESS
There were 27 comments relating to health and fitness of which 22 stated the need for
a sports centre or improved leisure facilities.
Sports centre with full sized swimming pool ( Transport Evening)
Leisure Centre - variety of facilities serving all community (Housing Economic
Regeneration Survey)
Build a Sports Centre ( Alliance and Leicester)
The Swanage Community Plan: Help shape the future of Swanage!
Bournemouth University / PACE / Ed B ickle. January 200 5 14
A more detailed discussion on the need for improved sports facilities is available in
section 12.4.
8.7 TRANSPORT
Transport is seen as the most important area of discussion in Question 2 with 26.8%
(187) of all comments. Opinions are pr edominantly focused on public transport,
pedestrianisation, parking and road management/traffic control. Some key areas for
discussion are detailed below:
The need for better public transport facilities (25)
Pedestrianisation (17)
More available parking (16)
Problems with/ the need to change the one-way system (15)
Problems with traffic and traffic control (13)
More parking for/ free pa rking for residents (11)
An improved/ cheaper bus service (9)
Cheaper/free parking (9)
More buses and a train service ( Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
Parking arrangements are appalling (Purbeck Gazette)
Pedestrianise town centre and Shore Road ( Tourist Information Centre)
One-way system changed ( League of Friends)
Clearly the responses indicate that public transport is an important issue for the
respondents. The rural nature of Dorset and, indeed, many parts of the South West in
general poses particular problems in public transport provision. In the South West, for
example, 79% of households live within a 13 minute walk of a bus stop compared to
the overall average for England of 89% ii . A more detailed discussion on public
transport is included with section 12.3.
8.8 YOUTH FACILITIES
65.5% of comments about youth facilities centred on the need for more and improved
facilities and activities for the younger members of the community.
Children’s play area: need more bigger and better (Purbeck G azette)
Provision of more facilities and places for young people (Business Economic
Regeneration Survey)
The remaining responses focused very much on the same issues, for example;
ii Regional Transport Statistics November 2004. Sample sizes South West 1,500 Households, England
13,355 households.
The Swanage Community Plan: Help shape the future of Swanage!
Bournemouth University / PACE / Ed B ickle. January 200 5 15
Things to be more child friendly (Methodist Church Mums and Toddlers)
Beach showers for children (Tourist Information Centre)
9. DATA ANALYSIS – QUESTION 3
What hopes do you have for Swanage in 5-10 years time?
There were over 600 comments on this question with 45% of the comments
concerning tourism or housing & the economy.
Table 4 – Responses to Question 3 by Topic
Main discussion points include;
That there is no or little change in Swanage (56)
Improved/more sports & leisure facilities (24)
More affordable housing especially for the young (23)
Rail link to Wareham (22)
Swanage remains a tourist town and an increased role for tourism (17)
Better public transport (14)
More jobs/ better employment prospects (14)
More balanced community in terms of age (13)
Less building of flats (12)
Emerging themes from Purbeck Society meeting:
• Retain Swanage as a seaside town whilst maintaining its natural environment
• Greater integrated public transport
• No major developments but development of services such as greater facilities
for young people, development of light industry, improvements in the
Mowlem and introduce more community facilities
• Encourage young people to stay in the town with affordable housing and better
work possibilities
9.1 CRIME
There is very little comment on law and order in question 3 with only 19 comments
(3.1%) of all responses. As with question 2 a greater police presence and the control
of anti social behaviour are seen as the key crime issues.
Curb unruly behaviour of yobs ( Miscellaneous Regeneration Survey)
Less vandalism and criminal damage (Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
9.2 HOUSING & THE ECONOMY
Affordable housing is again one of the key issues arising in this category with 23
comments.
Affordable housing for young people (Tourist Information Centre)
More subsidised affordable housing for local families (Purbeck Gazette)
Other popular responses include more jobs/ b etter job prospects (14), less building of
flats (12), fewer second homes (10) and to become more upmarket (6).
Better job prospects (Housing Economic Regeneration Survey)
A cessation of hotel to flat conversions (Co-Operative Stores)
Less second homes and retirement homes (Business Economic Regeneration Survey)
9.3 ENVIRONMENT
As in question 2 comments on the environment focus on the wish to see a cleaner
Swanage with less litter (9). It is worth noting that only 6.6% of all responses to
question 3 concerned the environment compared to 21.7% for question 2.
Better refuse collection in town centre (Miscellaneous)
Improved rubbish/ litter coll ection from public places ( Miscellaneous Regeneration
Survey)
Other responses included a reduction in the amount of building work (4), better toilets
(3), less dog waste (2) and preservation of open spaces (2).
9.4 LOCAL FACILITIES
Major responses to this topic tend to relate to the shops within Swanage as well as
facilities in general. The top five responses were as follows:
• Improved supermarkets (9)
• More/ improved facilities (9)
• Better shops (6)
The Swanage Community Plan: Help shape the future of Swanage!
Bournemouth University / PACE / Ed B ickle. January 200 5 17
• Community centre/ hall (5)
• More/ better adult education facilities (4)
Larger supermarket with wider choice (Miscellaneous Regeneration Survey)
Local facilities are improved (Sea Rowing Club)
Not all shops should be tacky: some should be better quality (Housing Economic
Regeneration Survey)
There is also some mention about healthcare facilities in the town (9) including;
That it treasures and protects its Community Hospital (Friends of Durlston)
Continuation/ improvement of day care facilities (Miscellaneous)
from Page 18 (9.5 TOURISM continued as separate Post .....
posted by The Postman at 7:13 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home