TOWN CENTRE USER SURVEY

TOWN CENTRE USER SURVEY: May 1998

Key Findings

87% consider the quality of food shopping to be very good/good

80% consider the eating provision in the evening to be very good/good

70% consider the quality of non-food to be very good/good

70% consider the daytime security to be very good/good

62% consider the toilets to be very bad/bad

65% consider the cleanliness to be very bad/bad/neither good nor bad

50% found goods difficult to purchase with the top three being:

clothes

furniture

household electrical

river

character

variety.shops

pavements

litter

toilets

TOWN CENTRE RETAILER SURVEY: September 1996:

Key Findings

SWOT ANALYSIS

November 1997

ACCESSIBILITY

*STRENGTHS*	*WEAKNESSES*
St. Ives - location, historical, nice place to live	Poor signage - main roads, car parks. List of businesses and location
A14 close	Access and parking from South of town
Bus station and Waitrose in town Centre	Lack of interaction into national transport system
Good access for residents	Confused situation - re. the bridge
Good parking	Lack of co-ordination between authorities
Tourism - the river	Access from A14 to Galley Hill
The market	Pavements (dropped kerbs for the disabled
Variety of shops	Toilets
	Poor traffic flow throughout town
	Bollards
	Coach parking facilities
	Not pedestrian friendly
	Need to draw people from North of town to town centre
	Lack of rear access to shops for delivery - parking problems in streets
*OPPORTUNITIES*	*THREATS*
Growth of local villages	Out of town shopping with free car parking
Pedestrianisation/pedestrian priority	Dormitory area
Traffic management system	Lack of co-ordinated response
Car park to south of town	Unacceptable present situation re. Traffic
Northern bypass with park and ride	Lack of marketing
New regime on car parking
The river
Rail link

SWOT ANALYSIS

November 1997

ATTRACTIONS

*STRENGTHS*	*WEAKNESSES*
Location - London Cambridge	Policing
River bridge	Lack of marketing
History Heritage	Fair
Market	Fair
Architecture	No multiples
Museum	No traffic plan
Church	Bollards (East v West)
Retail mix - quality	Pavements
Recreation Centres	Isolation of the Broadway
Dining Restaurants - volume/quality	Lack of green area
Golf	Toilets/Baby change
A14	Car Parking (charges/quality/sites)
Ouse Valley Walk	Bus services
Schools	No Tourist Information Centres
Housing	Provision for youths
Visual amenity	Disability provisions
Perimeter businesses - incoming workforce	Lack of boating facilities (hire boats)
Security
Town centre housing

*OPPORTUNITIES*	*THREATS*
Tourism (promotion)	Other market towns
Education	No police station/leadership
Recreation	Access to other towns/sites
Increased retail opportunities	A14 congestion
Traffic planning	Out of town stores
Pedestrianisation	Charity shops
Prioritise pedestrians	Retails imbalance
Hardscape improvements	Ability to change
Rail rink to Cambridge	Experience
Location - visitors/businesses	Planing
Discuss parking charges	Apathy
Protect heritage	Communication
Local events
Inward direction
Fair
Rejuvenate community spirit (Millennium)
Planning

SWOT ANALYSIS

November 1997

AMENITIES

*STRENGTHS*	*WEAKNESSES*
Vibrant local team	Marketing
Local people - use town most	Flow of traffic
Leisure Amenities	Toilets - lack of condition
Historic monuments, churches, etc.	Signage
Variety of eating houses	Baby changing facilities
	Lack of information and promotion
	Re-vamp car park information boards
	State of footpaths and access routes into town e.g. The Broadway
	Difficult access to town by riverboat traffic
	Poor coach parking facility
	Rail link

*OPPORTUNITIES*	*THREATS*
Toilets/benches	Increased car park charges
Tourist Information Shop	Cleanliness (pigeons)
Information leaflet	Public safety
Improve information boards	Out of town developments
Development of The Broadway- trees/lighting	Loss of independent retailer
Safer movement of pedestrians
Boat Hire
Increased coach parking
Small cinema
Car park bench - by notice boards
Chamber of Trade
Traffic management
Improved bus routes
Increased Bed and Breakfasts