[UPDATE 16 March 2023: We’ve received feedback from the public that the survey questions did not allow residents to sufficiently express their views on freight. As a result of this feedback BMG Research has amended the survey to include some of the freight questions not originally accessible to all residents. We apologise for this oversight and encourage everyone who has not already submitted a response to fill out the survey, as it now gives more opportunity for residents to provide their views on freight. We can confirm that BMG Research are writing to a small number of households from which survey responses had already been received to offer the opportunity to respond to the freight questions. Thank you for providing this important feedback at an early stage.]
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The Council is carrying out a consultation into transport and freight experiences – and what is needed for the future – for residents and businesses on the Isles of Scilly.
In progressing our Levelling Up Fund bid for replacement vessels and transport infrastructure, we want to establish a benchmark against which the quality, affordability and accessibility of transport services can be measured in future. We have commissioned Transport Focus, an independent watchdog for transport users, sponsored by the Department for Transport, to carry out the consultation in conjunction with BMG Research, a leading independent provider in market research.
Survey responses will be collated and analysed by BMG Research. No raw data will be shared with the Council, only data which has been grouped and/or anonymised, so you can be confident that anything which may identify you will not be handled by anyone with a direct, pre-existing connection to the islands. Please be as honest as you can when filling out the survey and encourage all eligible members of your household to submit a response.
How to complete the survey
The survey will be open between 10am on Saturday, 11 March and 10am on Monday, 27 March 2023. All households across the islands will receive a letter inviting every member of the household aged 16 and over to respond using a different, single-use reference code. The letters are being posted to residents today and we expect them to have been delivered by the middle of next week.
The survey is carried out online; however, for anyone who is unable to carry out the survey online, a telephone option is available. Full instructions are provided on the letter.
If you think you haven’t received a letter, or you or other members of your household are away from your residence when the letter is delivered, it’s still possible to complete the survey by the deadline over the phone. Simply call BMG Research on the freephone number 0800 358 0337 between 9am and 5pm to schedule a telephone appointment. You can also use this number if you have more than four eligible people in your household and need additional reference codes to access the survey.
Cllr Robert Francis, Chairman of the Council of the Isles of Scilly said: “I cannot overstate how important it is that the survey is completed by as many residents as possible. This is a rare opportunity for residents to communicate their experiences to government and help to influence services which are central to everyone’s livelihoods and way of life.”
How the survey results will be communicated
Once analysed, the data will be published on the Transport Focus website and we will provide an update when this is available. The Council will use the results of the survey in discussions with government and to underpin revisions to our business case for replacement vessels and transport infrastructure.
