Up until recently, the Place Survey was a survey that all districts in England had to carry out every two years. The Place Survey was cancelled by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) following the change in government in May 2010.
Here in Somerset, a consortium of local public service organisations appointed Bostock Marketing Group (BMG) to manage the last Place Survey (2008) within the county.
Between late September 2008 and December 2008, a questionnaire was sent to 17,500 Somerset households, 3,500 in each of the five district council areas. A total of 7,284 residents aged 18+ completed the survey, representing a healthy response rate of 42%.
As well as contributing 18 of the National Indicators which were previously required by the government’s Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA - now abolished), it provides local public organisations with a ‘citizen perspective’ about many aspects of their surroundings. Residents of Somerset expressed their attitudes towards, and perceptions of their local area which in turn helps inform decisions on improving outcomes for local people and places.