Arun District Council: Residents’ Survey

Arun District Council commissioned M·E·L Research to undertake a resident survey across two newly completed housing developments: Windmill Views in Barnham and The Hedgerows in Eastergate. The research formed part of the Council’s wider corporate objective to use the planning system to create high-quality, sustainable developments that meet the needs of current and future generations.

The Council wanted to engage directly with residents who had recently moved into new homes in order to understand how well these developments were functioning as places to live. The feedback was intended to strengthen the Council’s evidence base for Local Plan development and to inform service planning across areas such as transport, housing tenure, local services, amenities and neighbourhood design. A key focus was identifying what worked well within the developments, alongside areas where future schemes could be improved.

The two estates were selected because they were recently built, fully occupied, and broadly representative of the type and scale of residential development being delivered across the district. They were also developed by different housebuilders and located in different parts of Arun, allowing the Council to explore whether residents’ experiences were consistent across sites or influenced by location and design.

A key challenge within the project was the relatively small population sizes of each development, meaning that response rates and sample sizes needed to be maximised in order to generate meaningful insight. The research also needed to balance estate-level reporting with appropriate caution, given the statistical limitations associated with small samples.

Approach

M·E·L Research designed and delivered a mixed-mode resident survey, working in liaison with Arun District Council planning officers to ensure the questionnaire aligned with policy and evidence needs.

Survey design and development

The questionnaire was developed collaboratively with Council officers. Question content was informed by learning from a similar survey previously undertaken on another new development.

The survey covered a broad range of themes, including:

• Previous housing circumstances and motivations for moving
• Household composition
• Play areas and open space provision
• Estate design and layout
• Local services and facilities
• Open-ended feedback on strengths and areas for improvement
• Primary research methodology

Method: Postal questionnaire with online completion option

An initial postal mailing was sent to all addresses, including a paper questionnaire and information on how to complete the survey online via a URL and QR code.

A reminder mailing, including a second copy of the questionnaire, was issued after three weeks to households that had not yet responded, to maximise participation.

Analysis:

Quantitative analysis was undertaken across all closed survey questions. Results were reported both at an overall level and, where appropriate, by individual development. Open-ended responses were reviewed and thematically grouped to capture residents’ priorities, experiences and suggested improvements.

Reporting and deliverables:

M·E·L Research produced a comprehensive written report structured around the key themes of the survey.

The report included:

• Clear charts and tables showing levels of satisfaction with different aspects of the estates and local area
• Contextual interpretation of findings, for example linking parking satisfaction to levels of car ownership
• Direct, anonymised resident quotations to bring qualitative feedback to life, particularly around community feel, safety and estate design
• An appendix documented survey-related correspondence, ensuring a transparent audit trail of engagement activity linked to the research.

Use of findings

The research gave the Council a structured, resident-led evidence base to support both strategic planning and practical service considerations linked to new housing growth.

The outputs provided Arun District Council with:

• Direct resident insight into how new developments were performing as places to live
• Evidence to inform future planning decisions, particularly around parking provision, road design, green space and local infrastructure
• A clearer understanding of what residents valued most, including community feel, safety and environment
• Practical learning to apply to future housing developments across the district