Town Centre Opportunities Consultation 2015

Contact

Sean Gillen

(Economic Development Manager)

Economic Development

0208 831 6219

sean.gillen@richmond.gov.uk

Results updated 20 Oct 2017

Richmond Council successfully worked with the borough’s branch of Age UK to undertake a survey of older residents in order to establish the suitability of town centres and identify improvements that can be made.

93 respondents took part in this survey. Overall Twickenham (31%) and Richmond (27%) were the town centres visited most often whilst Teddington (10%), Whitton (8%) and Hampton (8%) were also popular.

The most frequently mentioned reasons given for visiting these town centres were

To shop (91%)
To meet friends (34%)
For fresh air (24%)
To Browse (22%)
To attend community events (20%)

Respondents stated they visited the town centre nearest to them 2-3 times a week with the reason given for not visiting more frequently being lack of appropriate shops and facilities by 42% of people.

Overall the experience of the borough’s town centres was rated as good by 59% by respondents.

Attached is the report on Town Centre Opportunities older residents survey, combining responses from the two rounds of the Survey (end of 2014 and March 2015). The results from these two rounds will provide guidance for managing town centres and also guide future funding decisions.

Also attached is a document called ‘Additional Research’, looking at the responses of those with a disability, leisure & culture satisfaction ratings by village, further breakdown of responses by age bracket, and comparison with the All-in-One survey.

For more information contact Sean Gillen by email Sean.Gillen@richmond.gov.uk

Files:

Town Centre Opportunities Survey - Additional Research.docx, 39.4 KB (Office Word 2007 XML document)
2014-15 Town Centre Opportunities Survey Results.docx, 94.3 KB (Office Word 2007 XML document)

Overview

The purpose of the survey is to obtain the views and perspectives of older residents in the borough in order to gain a better understanding about how suitable they feel the borough’s town centres are to meet their needs and identify issues and opportunities for future improvement.

This survey was first undertaken using paper questionnaires at the Full of Life Fair in 2014 with an on-line version available. Whilst the responses provided us with a good base for our initial analysis, we now wish to expand the consultation further to ensure we hear from as many people as possible right across the borough.

To help us with this we are working closely with Age UK in Richmond who work locally to improve the quality of life for older residents.

We are keen to hear your views and invite you to take part in this survey by completing and submitting your questionnaire by 27th March 2015 when the consultation closes.

The findings of the consultation will be shared with Town Centre Managers and Traders Associations to inform the work they do.

The Council has a Town Centre Opportunities fund providing small grants to support improvement of the trading environment for local business with the aim of making them more attractive. The findings of the consultation will also inform how that money is spent in the future.

If you need any further information or would like a paper copy of the questionnaire please contact Sean Gillen, Economic Development Manager, by email at sean.gillen@richmond.gov.uk or telephone 0208 831 6219.

Thank you for taking the time to be involved.

Areas

Audiences

Older people

Interests

Richmond Borough