New market research

New market research reinforces importance to local people of activities to improve Ilford Town Centre

Perceptions of improved cleanliness, safety and a more visible police presence in Ilford Town Centre are growing, according to market research carried out locally.

During a second tranche of research, which took place in September 2010, a third of the 100 people interviewed said that they thought Ilford was safer than a year ago and 29% believed that it was also cleaner. This response shows an increase in reported perceptions when comparing against research carried out in June. In addition, when asked about the visible police presence in the town centre, whilst the same percentage (41%) reported noticing a more visible presence compared to the previous year, 10% fewer people said that they thought there was less visible presence.

“We are very pleased with these particular findings,” said Neil Davis, Ilford Town Centre Manager. “Since the beginning of 2010 we have been investing time, effort and money in improving cleanliness, safety and the numbers of police visible to our visitors. Whilst this is clearly having impact, and suggests that we are moving in the right direction, we recognise that there is still plenty of work to do, and our plans for 2011 include continued activity in these core areas.”

Reinforcing the importance of Ilford as a local destination, the majority of interviewees said that they liked its closeness to home, and 45% said that their primary reason for visiting was to shop. The facilities that proved most popular with respondents were a good choice of shops, the Mall and the pedestrianized area. The Town Centre also proved popular for meetings, with 22% saying that they were meeting friends or family on the day they were interviewed.

Reflecting similar views to the people interviewed in June, there was enthusiasm for more events in the Town Centre, with 22% requesting summer festivals, 13% asking for performance artists and 8% wanting more art displays.

The interviews also gathered data on parking, media listened to or read, frequency of visits and the methods of transport used.

“We are analysing all the data which is informing our decisions about how we improve the town centre moving forward,” continued Neil Davis.