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RCCE staff are experienced in delivering on a wide variety of contracts.
Our experiences include:
Witham Public Park Project
Public Health Consultation
North Uttlesford Bus Survey
Maldon District Facing the Future
Uttlesford Futures Consultation
An integrated Town Plan consultation SPD at South Woodham Ferrers
Witham Public Park Project
Braintree District Council (BDC) contracted the Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) to undertake a survey of ‘perceptions’ about Witham Public Park between July 2007 and January 2008. The Perceptions Survey is the first stage of consultation on the Witham Public Park Project - a project to deliver a programme of improvements to the historic ‘designed landscape’ in the heart of Witham.
The aims of the Perceptions Survey were as follows:
- To engage a wide range of audiences (as outlined in the Heritage Lottery Fund guidance on Audience Development Plans) through a programme of interactive events and activities;
- To enable local residents and stakeholders to contribute to the improvement of Witham Public Park;
- To improve local residents and stakeholders understanding of the ‘heritage value’ of the park;
- To complement the Witham Public Park User Survey, another survey in the first stage of consultation on the Project;
- To assist with compiling a database of contacts to enable involvement in subsequent stages of consultation which could be used to develop audiences for future use of the park.
The findings of the Perceptions Survey will be explored in a series of topic based meetings and ultimately used to shape a programme of improvements to Witham Public Park.
Methodology
A series of participatory events was designed to reach a variety of target audiences.
At advertised meetings and in schools, a workshop format was used to gather views and opinions and vote on priorities. At outreach sessions, a map of the park was displayed (together with an exhibition of photos if space allowed) and comments were recorded on coloured flags, coloured leaves, or on a flip chart.
In all instances three basic questions were asked:
What is Good? What do you like about the Park?
What is Bad? What are the problems?
What about the Future? What improvements and new uses would you like to see?
A questionnaire was also distributed at outreach sessions as a means of recording priorities.
A total of 649 people took part in the Perceptions Survey (including 236 who completed questionnaires).
Public Health Consultation
Mid Essex PCT contracted the Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) to facilitate four stakeholder consultation events from May to July 2007. The purpose of the events was to involve the local population and stakeholders in producing a Health Needs Assessment, based on the Population Profile 2007. The consultation will help shape the Health and Well Being Strategy for Mid Essex.
Events were held as follows:
- Braintree Town Hall Centre on 31st May 2007, 1.30pm to 4.00pm
- Minerva Centre, Maldon on 6th June 2007, 9.30am to 12 noon
- County Hotel, Chelmsford on 14th June 2007, 6.30pm to 9.00pm
- PCT offices with clinical staff on 2nd July 2007, 2.00pm to 4.30pm
The aims of the events were as follows:
- To enable stakeholders to contribute to the Health Needs Assessment;
- To improve stakeholders understanding of the "health" of Mid Essex;
- To instil a sense of excitement about the future and what's already happening;
- To involve stakeholders in defining stakeholder engagement processes for the future;
- To involve stakeholders in shaping the ultimate "offer" for health in Mid Essex
The programme for the events used a variety of participatory techniques.
The events were attended by 92 people (Braintree 31, Maldon 23, Chelmsford 24, Staff 14). A report was approved by Mid Essex PCT in July 2007.
The report of findings is available here
North Uttlesford Bus Survey
The North Uttlesford Bus Survey, completed by Kris Radley, RCCE’s Transport and Access Adviser, has gathered specific information on existing bus services and user views in Uttlesford District.
The consultation involved a variety of different data sourcing techniques to gather evidence as recommended by Essex County Council (ECC). The information gathered will contribute towards the requirements for accessibility planning in the area.
ECC defined the services and routes for consultation. RCCE, in partnership with ECC designed an appropriate timetable for surveys ensuring that all services could be reviewed at appropriate times.
The resulting information from the passenger surveys, route assessments and on/off tally’s have been gathered and presented to ECC in the form of the report ‘North Uttlesford Bus Survey 2008’.
For more information contact Kris Radley, Rural Transport and Access Adviser here at RCCE.
Maldon District Facing the Future
RCCE worked in partnership with Maldon District Council to help residents and stakeholders face their future at an event held on 17th March.
The joint Maldon Local Strategic Partnership and Local Development Framework consultation event was attended by over 60 delegates. RCCE assisted in the facilitation of workshops where attendees discussed options for flooding, housing, rural services, and employment land. The results will be fed into the Local Development Framework and Sustainable Community Strategy processes for the district.
Uttlesford Futures Consultation
RCCE was contracted by Uttlesford Futures (the Local Strategic Partnership for Uttlesford) to run a series of three community consultation events last November. The workshops linked in to an ongoing engagement process in the formation of Uttlesford’s Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS), a document that sets a vision for the future of the district.
The Field Team have been involved in previous work on the production of the SCS and also facilitated a focus group for stakeholders, a precursor to the community workshops.
An integrated Town Plan consultation SPD at South Woodham Ferrers
RCCE was contracted by the Chelmsford Borough Council to assist with community engagement in the preparation for the SPD for the town of South Woodham Ferrers.
Chelmsford Borough Council (CBC) included the SPD in their Local Development Scheme. At the same time the town council had identified the need to prepare a town plan to tackle a variety of issues that had been raised locally. RCCE Field Officer works together with the Town Council Development and Regeneration Steering Group and CBC planners.
The process must meet the requirements of the Statement of Community Involvement and Sustainability Appraisal but also retain local ownership of the final town plan and empower those involved to take actions forward. To integrate the consultation without compromising the ‘community-led’ principle is a challenge for all involved. The intention is for the integrated process to provide information for both final documents; the SPD which will contain spatial planning policies and the Town Plan which will focus on action.
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