Research Objectives and Method

Between July and September M·E·L Research carried out a randomly sampled postal survey of Southend-On-Sea residents.

The aim of this research was to gather fresh insight into residents’ perceptions of their local area, community interactions and resident behaviours. It also sought views on Southend-on- Sea Borough Council’s performance.

A similar survey which was completed in 2019 was used as the basis for this 2021 research to provide an indication of the direction of travel of public perceptions.

While this tracking approach necessitated continuity in a number of places, the content of many other questions was revised in order to explore the impact of the pandemic on residents and how this might shape service needs going forward.

As was the case in 2019 the survey content was closely aligned with the Southend 2050 ambition. Subsequently, this report uses the 2050 themes as an analysis framework.

An initial 5,500 residential addresses across Southend were randomly sampled, proportionate to ward population in July. Addresses were selected from the Royal Mail’s Postal Address File.

All sampled addresses received an initial letter inviting them to complete the survey online.

All non-responders were then sent a reminder mailing three weeks later which contained a full paper copy of the questionnaire and a freepost return envelope.

Following a lower than expected response rate over the summer months a further boost sample of 3,000 addresses was drawn in September. In this boost mailing a full questionnaire booklet was despatched, along with instructions of how to complete online.

This boost mailing allowed us to surpass the target number of 1,100 completed surveys. In total, 1,206 survey were received by the final deadline of 1st October.

This equates to a response rate of 14%. 351 survey were completed online and 855 were completed on paper – emphasising that the paper delivery channel remains the dominant one when both options are available to all.

Survey Content

As well as recording headline perceptions of Southend-On-Sea Borough Council, the survey content was designed to inform the key themes within the Southend 2050 ambitions and roadmap. The question set used in last equivalent survey in 2019 was revised in multiple places in order to explore resident’s needs and behaviours following the coronavirus pandemic.

• Satisfaction with services
• Local priorities
• Changing use of parks and open spaces
• Climate change and environmental issues

• Neighbourhood safety
• Support through the pandemic
• The needs of carers

• Community cohesion
• Volunteering
• Local decision making

• Regeneration
• Changing work patterns and associated needs

• Information provision about services
• Public transport confidence
• Public transport information
• Electric car aspirations

Data weighting and confidence level

To eliminate the effect of differential response rates by geography and demographic groups, the final data has been weighted by ward, age and gender. The now out of date 2011 census data provides the most granular data for ethnicity. The age of this data means it is now not suitable for use in weighting. But checks were made to ensure that the ethnicity profile of the weighted data broadly aligned to that recorded in 2011.

The sample size of 1,206 means that this dataset has a maximum confidence level of +/-2.82 at the borough level. +/-3 is the standard level of confidence for residents’ surveys of this type, so this data is within this threshold. Sub-group analysis i.e., comparing responses from particular resident groups or from specific locations within the borough will have higher confidence intervals.

Analysis

In order to analyse the data at a more statistically robust geographies, wards have been grouped into four localities:

• West
• West Central
• East Central
• East