Survey Responses:
The Survey Responses on this page are made up of those we received for the Healthcheck at the Open Meetings which we held in September, 2006 at Dunks and in October, 2006 at Budgens car-park. We have also included some of the results from our Retail Survey which we started at the beginning of 2007.
Overview
Healthcheck Category Responses
Visitors to Hawkhurst on two Saturday mornings in October were asked to air their opinions about Hawkhurst. Open-ended questions were asked and the responses coded into the four Healthcheck categories. A total of 251 responses were recorded. The pie chart illustrates the distribution of responses between each of the categories. This survey should not be seen as being a definitive indicator of the needs of the village. It gave a snap shot of the concerns of the many Saturday morning visitors.
Response Group: Economy
Economy
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the majority of the respondents commented on the shops in Hawkhurst. There was support for a Farmers Market and a wider range of shops. Others suggested that there was already a balanced selection of shops and that Budgens appeared to have had a positive influence on the other traders in the village. The cinema too was seen as having a positive effect in that it brought more people into the village.
A number of respondents commented that the village was missing out on opportunities to benefit from tourism as there was no Tourist Information and little external marketing.
Response Group - Environment
Environment
The major concern within the environment group was the detrimental effect traffic congestion was having. This was reinforced by those responding within the pedestrian category. Within the amenity section a more centrally placed post box was seen as being desirable. Fly tipping and rubbish collection was a cause for concern and more co-ordinated planning was perceived as being important in the future development of Hawkhurst.
Response Group: Transport
Transport
Improving and maintaining public transport links to railway stations and other local towns were seen as being vital to the life of the village. Difficulties in parking were seen as being an inhibitor to the further growth of the village. The poor state of local roads was a common thread and the amount of traffic again was of concern.
Response Group: Social and Community
Social and Community
This category provoked a much wider range of responses than any other. Of central concern was the plight of the village youth, the lack of local facilities was seen as being a contributory factor to some of the problems associated with this group of residents. Linked to this was the perception that the police presence in the village was minimal. Health matters were high on peoples' lists (not surprisingly as there was an ongoing concern to save the Cottage Hospital) as was the lack of an NHS dentist. Other major comments centred on the need for an improved and enlarged library, the provision of a village hall and the need for further social housing.