Packer's Field Community Consultation
Introduction
This report highlights the findings of
a consultation with the local community of Whitehall about
access to and use of Packers Field. This survey of a sample
of the community was conducted in February 2006 in order to
find out the views of local residents.
Methodology
Our approach to this was to hand deliver
leaflets detailing the history of the Town Green application.
The leaflet also highlighted some of our findings and concerns
about the planned development. We followed up this leaflet
by going door to door on four subsequent Sunday afternoons
in February 2006. At this stage we asked people their opinions
and asked them whether they would sign a petition, which asked
for the following:
As members of the Whitehall community,
we request the following:
- Free, open access to the field
at all times for informal recreation.
- Dual / Multiple use between individuals,
schools and sports clubs.
- Genuine, open consultation of the local
community by Bristol City Council & the City Academy.
During this consultation with a sample
of the community, we were honest about our opposition to the
Academy's plan to develop the field. We recorded people who
were in favour of the plans, against the plans and people
who just said they had no interest in the issue either way.
In the time available we visited 255 houses
on the following roads local to the site: Gordon Road, Johnsons
Road, Neath Road, Woodcroft Avenue, Oakleigh Avenue, Whitehall
Gardens, Wineberry Close, Stepney Walk & Stepney Road
(one side only). These are illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1
Results
| In favour of the points
on the petition |
114
|
(84.4% of respondents)
|
| In favour of the Academy
Plans |
10
|
(7.5% of respondents) |
| No interest in the issue
either way |
11
|
(8.1% of respondents) |
| Not In |
120
|
|
If you take out the people
who should no interest either way the percentage of people
in favour of the statements set out in the petition was 92%.
This percentage is still 82% if the people
who expressed no interest either way are considered as pro
the Academy plans and against the statement set out in the
petition.
Conclusions
This simple report sets out how we have
conducted a genuine community consultation of people in the
area around Packers Field by speaking to people and finding
out their views.
Our findings show that 92% of people who
expressed a preference, want to see:
- Free, open access to the field at all
times for informal recreation.
- Dual / Multiple use between individuals,
schools and sports clubs.
- Genuine, open consultation of the local
community by Bristol City Council & the City Academy.
|
