Measuring Up: Parks Annual Findings

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Measuring UpParks Annual Findings

• Report prepared December 08
• By Claire Cockburn

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Key findings (1)

• Respondents who described their ethnic background
  as something other than White British were less
  satisfied with the park overall than their White
  British counterparts.
• This difference in overall satisfaction is not
  reflected in the particular aspects of the park
  which we ask about, therefore there might be
  something else influencing this. This is an area
  which should be investigated further.

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Key findings (2)

• Between 2007 and 2008, there was in increase in
  satisfaction with the removal dog mess, quality
  of planting, trees or natural landscape, toilets,
  how safe and secure you feel and knowing how to
  report problems

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Background

• 600 customers were interviewed face-to-face in
  one of twelve parks across the borough.
• The interviews took place between April and
  September 2008 were conducted in the morning
  (08.00-10.00), afternoon (10.00-16.00) and
  evening (16.00gt).
• This survey follows the research conducted
  between April and September 2007.

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Visitor profile

• Just over four fifths (83) of respondents were
  residents and around one tenth were day
  visitors (12). The remaining 5 were on
  holiday or overnight stay.
• There were more female respondents than male 62
  versus 38.
• Respondents were fairly evenly spread across all
  age groups with two slight exceptions
• Around one in ten (11) of respondents were aged
  under 25 years.
• Around a quarter (28) were aged between 25 and
  44 years.
• 95 of respondents described themselves as White
  British.
• One in ten (10) of respondents had a long-term
  illness or disability.
• There are no significant differences between the
  visitor profile in 2007 and 2008.

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How to interpret the findings

• Scores shown represent the percentage of
  respondents who were very satisfied or
  satisfied with each particular aspect.
• This report highlights when there is a
  significant difference in satisfaction between
  different parks or customer types (i.e. gender,
  age, parental status etc). This means that there
  is statistical evidence that there is a
  difference and it is unlikely to have occurred by
  chance.

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Ethnicity

• White British respondents were significantly more
  satisfied with the park overall than respondents
  from another ethnic background.
• This is the only significant difference in
  satisfaction between ethnic groups there are no
  differences for any particular aspects. This
  suggests that there is something else driving
  this difference. Follow-up research may be
  necessary to investigate what this might be.

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Holidaymakers, day visitors and residents

• Day visitors and residents were significantly
  more satisfied with the ease of getting in and
  around the park than those on holiday or
  overnight stay.
• Those on holiday were significantly more
  satisfied with sports facilities than residents.
• Day visitors were significantly more satisfied
  with knowing how to report problems than
  residents or holidaymakers.

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Gender

• Female respondents were significantly more
  satisfied than males with the play facilities and
  opportunities.
• Male respondents were significantly more
  satisfied than females with the parks information
  and signage and knowing how to report problems.

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Disability status

• Respondents without any long-standing disability
  were significantly more satisfied than those with
  a disability with play facilities and
  opportunities.
• Respondents with a disability were significantly
  more satisfied than those without a disability
  with the parks information and signage.

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Parental status

• Those visiting the park with children were
  significantly more satisfied than those without
  children with the play facilities and
  opportunities.
• Those without children were significantly more
  satisfied than those with children with the parks
  information and signage and knowing how to report
  problems.

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Age

• Older respondents are significantly more
  satisfied than younger respondents with three
  aspects
• How safe and secure you feel
• Knowing how to report problems
• Parks information and signage

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Comparison by year

• Between 2007 and 2008 almost all measures showed
  an increase in satisfaction.
• Five measures showed a significant improvement in
  satisfaction
• removal dog mess,
• quality of planting, trees or natural landscape,
• toilets,
• how safe and secure you feel,
• knowing how to report problems

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Analysis by park
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Overall satisfaction

• Satisfaction with the park overall ranged from
  over four in five respondents satisfied (86) in
  Pelhams Park to all respondents satisfied in
  Stour Valley, Queens Park and Redhill Park.
• The level of satisfaction with the park overall
  was significantly lower in Pelhams Park than most
  other parks.
• There are no significant changes in overall
  satisfaction in each park between 2007 and 2008.

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Removal of litter and broken glass

• Satisfaction with the removal of litter and
  broken glass was significantly higher in Alum
  Chine than most other parks.
• Satisfaction in Meyrick Park and Winton Rec was
  significantly lower than most other parks.
• In Slades Farm, there has been an increase in
  satisfaction between 2007 and 2008.
• In Winton Rec and Meyrick Park there has been a
  decrease in satisfaction between 2007 and 2008.

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Removal of dog mess

• Satisfaction with the removal of dog mess is
  significantly lower in Kings Park than in
  Seafield Gardens, Alum Chine and Slades Farm.
• Between 2007 and 2008, satisfaction with this
  aspect has increased significantly in Slades
  Farm, Alum Chine, Moore Avenue Park and Queens
  Park.

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Quality of planting, trees or natural landscape

• Satisfaction with the quality of planting, trees
  or natural landscape is significantly lower in
  Moore Avenue Park than Stour Valley, Queens Park,
  Meyrick Park, Slades Farm and Boscombe Chine
  Gardens.

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Sports facilities

• Satisfaction with the sports facilities in Winton
  Rec and Kings Park is significantly higher than
  most other parks.
• Between 2007 and 2008, satisfaction with this
  aspect has significantly increased in Pelhams
  Park.

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Play facilities and opportunities

• Satisfaction with play facilities and
  opportunities is significantly higher in Kings
  Park than all other parks.
• Satisfaction with this aspect is significantly
  lower in Slades Farm than in most other parks.
• Between 2007 and 2008, Kings Park and Slades Farm
  have both showed a significant increase in
  satisfaction with play facilities and
  opportunities.
• Moore Avenue Park has showed a decrease in
  satisfaction between 2007 and 2008.

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Toilets

• Satisfaction with toilets is significantly lower
  in Slades Farm and Kings Park than in all other
  parks.
• Satisfaction with this aspect in Redhill Park is
  significantly less than most other parks.
• Between 2007 and 2008, satisfaction has increased
  in Pelhams Park.
• However, during the same period satisfaction has
  decreased in Seafield Gardens.

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Café facilities

• Satisfaction with the café facilities was
  significantly higher in Queens Park, Seafield
  Gardens and Kings Park than in most other parks.
• Satifaction was significantly lower in Redhill
  Park and Winton Rec than in most other parks.

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How safe and secure you feel

• Satisfaction with how safe and secure you feel is
  significantly lower in Moore Avenue Park than in
  all other parks.
• Between 2007 and 2008 satisfaction with this
  aspect has significantly increased in Boscombe
  Chine Gardens and Winton Rec.

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Ease of getting in and around

• When it comes to satisfaction with ease of
  getting in and around, there were no significant
  differences between different parks.
• Similarly there were not differences between 2007
  and 2008.

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Knowing how to report problems

• Satisfaction with knowing how to report problems
  was significantly higher in Queens Park, Slades
  Farm and Boscombe Chine Gardens than in most
  other parks.
• Satisfaction in Moore Avenue Park and Kings Park
  was significantly lower than most other parks.
• Between 2007 and 2008 satisfaction with this
  aspect has increased in Boscombe Chine Gardens,
  Pelhams Park and Meyrick Park.
• Between 2007 and 2008 satisfaction had decreased
  in Seafield Gardens and Moore Avenue Park.

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Park information and signage

• Satisfaction with information and signage was
  significantly higher in Boscombe Chine Gardens
  than in all other parks, whilst satisfaction in
  Queens Park was higher than most other parks.
• Satisfaction in Moore Avenue Park and Kings Park
  was lower than in most other parks.
• Between 2007 and 2008 satisfaction has increased
  in Boscombe Chine Gardens, Meyrick Park and Stour
  Valley.
• During the same period satisfaction has decreased
  in Queens Park, Seafield Gardens and Moore Avenue
  Park.

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Additional comments

• Many respondents chose to add additional comments
  when interviewed. From these comments we can see
  that there was widespread concern about dog mess
  and many people felt there should be additional
  dog bins in parks. Others mentioned greater
  enforcement by wardens whilst others thought it
  would be a good idea to provide free dog bags.
• As well as this over-arching comment, there were
  a number of issues raised which were specific to
  a particular park
• Kings Park public toilets there are not enough
  of them, they are often locked, they need to be
  improved.
• Seafield Gardens replace the slide, improve the
  lines and lighting in basketball area
• Slades Farm provide additional benches/seating
• Pelhams Park replace the paddling pool
• Moore Avenue Park gates they do not shut/lock
  well and they are too low
• Meyrick Park better lighting needed