The survey of 136 Brentford residents found that word of mouth and the TW8 website are the most common ways residents find out about events in Brentford. Most residents are hungry for more online information on local happenings and events, with email being the preferred medium, such as through a newsletter. Residents expressed priorities for Brentford as more shops and restaurants, and improving the high street.
2. Background and objectives
Brentford Community Council has undertaken a
survey to ask local people and organisations involved
in Brentford what they would like to see improved in
Brentford.
The questionnaire results will inform a community-
owned 'Community Strategy and Action Plan' to help
guide the Council, councillors, businesses and other
service providers where support and investment
should be prioritised.
The project spans across residents, businesses and
charities. However this first iteration will focus on
residents only
3. A note on the sample profile
achieved so far
So far we have interviewed 136n Brentford Residents
The majority have lived in Brentford for at least 6 years and tend
to be involved in the community.
A note of caution: base sizes are sometimes low for subgroup
analysis but when relevant data cuts are shown for qualitative
reading and flagged as low base sizes.
Note: see local statistics in appendix section for reference.
How long have you lived Number of children:
in Brentford:
A year or less
3%
4 or more
3%
1-2 years
8% 3
11%
3-5 years
14%
2 0
for ever 25% 50%
53%
6-10 years
22% 1
11%
75% of our sample recruited so far has been
living in Brentford for at least 6 years
5. About You & Brentford
Residents surveyed show attachment to
Brentford as very few intend to leave in
the short to medium term
How long you have lived in Brentford tends to correlate with anticipated length of stay
(although too few recent joiners to draw conclusions) which seems to suggest a divide of
residents between the core and a more transient population.
Encouragingly 41% of those who have lived here under 6 years intend to stay at least as
long.
Long term residents are loyal to Brentford: 2 thirds who have lived in Brentford forever
intend to stay forever
69% intend on staying at least 6 years and only 8% plan on leaving the town within the next
2 years.
How long have you been in Brentford (whether living, working
or playing here) and how long do you see yourself staying for?
Lived for…
How long lived in
A year 1-2 3-5 6-10
Brentford vs Intend to for ever
or less years years years
stay (%)
Total
Plannin
g on
A year or less 0 (0) 0 (0) 1 (7) 1 (5) 1 (2) 3
staying
for...
1-2 years 2 (67) 0 (0) 3 (21) 0 (0) 1 (2) 5
3-5 years 1 (33) 5 (63) 3 (21) 3 (14) 10 (19) 23
6-10 years 0 (0) 0 (0) 3 (21) 6 (27) 6 (11) 15
for ever 1 (33) 3 (37.5) 4 (29) 11 (50) 35 (66) 54
Total 3 8 14 22 53
Base: 116n answers Global % out of all table Column %
(i.e. all cells add up to 100%) (i.e. all cells in columns add up to 100%)
6. About You & Brentford
There is a variety of reasons cited in
relation to an eventual move out of
Brentford
Reasons to move out of Brentford:
(Open question)
Retirement, desire to move out in the countryside or just having to
return back home were frequent reasons cited for eventually leaving
Brentford.
Work relocation also unsurprisingly was often cited.
More worryingly we note a sense of despair vis a vis the regeneration of
the High Street, some people ‘giving up’ on seeing improvements.
Base: 50n answers
7. About You & Brentford
A tale of two cities?
Brentford is perceived as a friendly but
run down place
How do you see Brentford (first three adjectives that spring to
mind when you think of Brentford)?
(Open question)
Brentford is first and foremost perceived as a friendly place and
to a smaller extent a community.
We also note frequent mentions to the historical nature of the
town.
However almost as top of mind are impressions of a run down,
shabby, neglected, tired or even dirty place.
Base: 111n answers
8. About You & Brentford
Majority of residents either opt for a mix
mode of transportation or drive to
commute in and out of Brentford
Although cycling represents a small proportion of commuting choices
(however way higher than the London average it has to be said) it is
more popular amongst new residents (under 2 years)
Conversely driving tends to be more prominent amongst those who
have lived for over 6 years
Main modes of transportation:
– Combination 37%
– Drive 31% (38% amongst those in Brentford over 6 years)
– Bus 11% (24% amongst those in Brentford 3-5 years)
– Tube/rail 11%
– Cycle 7% (42% amongst those in Brentford under 2 years)
– Walk 4%
Base: 108n answers
9. About You & Brentford
The overwhelming majority of
residents feel safe in Brentford…
64% 30%
91%
feel safe
know how to contact
the police in a non-
emergency
contacted the
police in the
last year
In Brentford
… and there is generally good
awareness amongst the
residents surveyed of how to
contact the local police or Safer
63% know how to contact their local Neighbourhood Team.
SNT (Safer Neighbourhood Team • However figures drop
But drops to 33% amongst those living in
Brentford for less than 2 years
dramatically amongst recent
joiners which points to a need to
36% relay the message amongst
aware of the them.
policing pledge
Only 8% amongst those living in Brentford for
less than 2 years
Base: 112n answers
11. What’s on in Brentford
The most frequent activities of Brentford
residents within Brentford are unsurprisingly
shopping but also walks, visiting parks ahead
of pubs and restaurant outings
What do you do in Brentford?
WEEKLY
Locals go for walks more often
than they visit pubs and
restaurants in Brentford
Base: 112n answers
12. What’s on in Brentford
When looking at it on a monthly basis we note
higher rates of visits to arts places and
museums as well as medical services.
What do you do in Brentford?
MONTHLY
Base: 112n answers
13. What’s on in Brentford
Art venues, museums and (thankfully?)
medical services are the least frequently
visited facilities in Brentford
What do you do in Brentford?
LESS OFTEN THAN MONTHLY Around a fifth of residents
use supermarkets outside
of Brentford
A quarter prefer to frequent pubs and
restaurants outside of Brentford (or just do
Base: 112n answers
not visit them at all)
14. What’s on in Brentford
Around 1 in 4 are not aware of
extended services such as dance
mats or cookery clubs.
What do you do in Brentford?
NOT AWARE OF
More than 1 in 10 Few are
have not heard of unaware of
the Children Centre Museums and
or Support Groups arts places
Base: 112n answers
15. What’s on in Brentford
Below are the results of the previous pages
presented in full overview
Different way of presenting info
Can chose whatever best fits report’s
audience
What do you do in Brentford?
FULL OVERVIEW
Base: 112n answers
16. What’s on in Brentford
Overall our sample was aware of most
local activities but mostly attended the
Brentford Festival
Event with lowest awareness is May Fayre with
almost 3 in 10 not having heard of it
Have you attended (in 2008 or 2009) the following community
events:
Christmas
Picnic at Christmas lights
May lights
St Paul’s switch on at
Fayre fundraiser
park Watermans
at Syon Park
Base: 108n answers
17. What’s on in Brentford
There are 3 key priorities for Brentford
residents: more shops, a better high
street and more restaurants & coffee
shops
What would you like that doesn't exist in Brentford?
(Open question)
Detailed coded answers:
Better Shopping facilities: 18 Allotments: 1
Better/ decent/ thriving High Street: 16 Brentford Baths to re open: 1
More restaurants, family pubs & gastropubs: 8 Buildings more in keeping with our canal/riverside location: 1
Nice coffee shops: 7 Canal side development: 1
Fresh, healthy food, greengrocer: 6 Clean air: 1
Better supermarket (Sainsbury's, Waitrose…): 5 Decent selection of places to go out in evening & weekends: 1
Cleaner streets: 5 Eco friendly: 1
Community/ Youth Center: 5 GPs surgery open at hours accessible to working people: 1
Wider variety of shops: 5 Gym: 1
Better Secondary Schools/ More schooling options: 4 More free parking: 1
Deli: 4 More landscaping: 1
Good live music/ events venue: 4 More pedestrian areas: 1
Better canal/ riverside: 3 More vibrant town: 1
Better transport: 3 Not too many big companies moving in: 1
Bookshop: 3 Police station open longer: 1
Clothes shop: 3 Premiership status: 1
Decent/ proper Town Center: 3 Refurbished boatyards: 1
Farmers Market: 3 Save historic Brentford: 1
More/ better childrens' playgrounds: 3 Skate/ BMX park: 1
Shopping Center: 3 Support for Lone Parents: 1
Celebrate & signpost heritage: 2 Youth Club/activities: 1
Trampoline club for adults.: 2 Zoo: 1
A civic society group: 1
A comunity spirit like it used to have: 1
Base: 89n answers
18. What’s on in Brentford
Almost 40% of our sample go at least
occasionally support the Bees
Do you go to Griffin Park to watch Brentford Football Club?
most matches
16%
less than five a
year
no
23%
61%
Base: 109n answers
Last season I watched
13 games. This season it
will be only 3 games,
due to I lost my job.
my son and husband go finances currently don't
to every home game permit regular visits,
even less a season
ticket!
Used to go with my
brother, but his health is too expensive for the Haven't got round to it
now not so good, but all quality on offer
the family are members
of Bees Utd
Base: 106n answers
19. What’s on in Brentford
Our sample (admittedly biased towards long
term residents) is generally keen to be
involved in the community. 46% would be
willing to make a time commitment to a charity
Would you like to know how to get involved in community
events and groups (saying yes commits you to nothing)?
Would like the option of
knowing about them
and explanation of how
No people can get involved.
39% Regular email or similar
would be good.
Yes
61%
Possibly depending on
the type of event
Base: 96n answers
already involved up to
often miss out on limit of time availability
knowing about events till
after they occur as I live
on the ealing side.
Am very involved in
community life on
Brentford Dock
Would you be willing to make a time commitment
Yes
to a local charity or group
46%
, from reading to children at school or community gardening to No
maintaining a charitable web site? This could be anything from a couple
of hours a month to a regular daily commitment. Saying Yes does not
54%
commit you.
Base: 98n answers
20. What’s on in Brentford
Around a quarter of the sample would be willing to make regular
monetary contributions to charity and would be most motivated
by transparency on what has been achieved with the funds.
Those willing to make a time commitment are also more likely to
make a donation
Would you be willing to make a regular contribution to a Amongst those willing to make a time
charity that operated solely for the benefit of Brentford commitment to a local charity or group
community (from £2 a month)?
Yes
27%
No
Yes
48%
52%
No
73%
Would you be more willing if it was a charity (where you could
Gift Aid) rather than a voluntary group?
Yes
28%
Yes
42%
No
58%
No
72%
Would you be more willing if you could see what happened to
the money? No
23%
No
39%
Yes
61%
Yes
Base: 92n answers 77%
22. Finding out what’s on in Brentford
Word of mouth and the TW8 website are
by far the most common ways of finding
info on what’s on in Brentford
How do you find out what's available in Brentford (tick all that
apply)?
Word of mouth 84
Www.brentfordtw8.com 71
Free local newspaper 50
Flyers through door 42
HM magazine 31
Brentford library 24
Notices in private Web search
22
windows Local toy lib
Pub - advertises in pub and through word of
Other (please specify) 15 mouth in pub
Community groups networks
Paid for local
12 Brag. Matt harmer's newsletter.
newspaper
Being observant / through work
GP waiting room 8 Info on our estate notice board
Phone book / yellow Shop ads
6
pages Community groups and local Church
Base: 108n answers
23. Finding out what’s on in Brentford
The overwhelming majority are clearly
hungry for more information on what’s
happening in Brentford via an online
source
Would you like to know more what’s happening in Brentford?
No
20%
Those who said no mentioned the following reasons:
I prefer to get my
entertainment in pleasant I already know where to
surroundings find info
It's not a lack of information, it's
that not many events interest
me.
Yes
80%
There is nothing that
interests me in Brentford
I get it all but it is clumsy
I have plenty to do! - to get to
perhaps a good website I work here, so really only need to know
would be useful about shopping facilities and transport
Depends what is being and I can get this by walking the high
advertised - don't want street and from the train companies
to be inundated with E-
I keep up to date with mails/flyers
what's going on.
No
7%
Would prefer
paper
4%
Would you like one online source of
information for Brentford?
Base: 103n answers
Yes
89%
24. Finding out what’s on in Brentford
And Email is by far the preferred
medium for example in the form of a
newsletter
How would you like to find out what's on in Brentford?
(Open question)
There is also clear appetite from
news from the TW8 website.
A solid base to further develop?
Base: 75n answers
26. Specific issues in Brentford
Overall support for the need of a Youth
Club in Brentford is strong (both
spontaneously and when prompted)
Do you think there is a need for Do you think Brentford needs a
more youth provision in Brentford? permanent youth club in a dedicated
building?
Don't Know Don't Know
37% 36%
Yes Yes
59% 59%
No No
4% 5%
Base: 99n answers
List up to 3 types of youth provision you would like to see (clubs, activities,...):
Base: 53n answers
27. Specific issues in Brentford
Most surveyed residents are aware of the
planned move of Brentford FC to Lionel Road
but support is not unequivocal
Are you aware of the plan to move Do you support the move to Lionel
Brentford Football Club to Lionel Road?
Road?
No
25%
Not sure
41% Yes
46%
Yes
75% No
13%
Those who were not sure said:
(as a % of all 100n respondents who answered the question)
DK/ No views (14%)
No interest in football club (6%)
Potential issue with what will happen with existing site (5%)
Lack of information (5%)
Where is this? (3%)
Pollution from A4/M4. Tight site. (1%)
Far from pubs (1%)
Effect on local businesses (1%)
Divided as a fan vs resident (1%)
Attached to current site (1%)
Base: 100n answers
28. Specific issues in Brentford
Maintaining and increasing green
spaces would be the first priority in the
residents’ view should money be
available
If money were to be allocated to Brentford (from S106 funding
*for example), on what should it be spent?
Maintaining/increasing
73
green spaces
Youth club 40
Community
Development Co- 39
Ordinator**
Youth services 38
Play equipment in
32
park
Other suggestions (word cloud): - needs to be coded for better analysis
Base: 91n answers
29. Specific issues in Brentford
6 in 10 are aware of the Community Payback
Scheme. The main activity envisaged for
offenders would be to help clean the streets &
parks and remove graffitis.
Are you aware of the Community
Payback Scheme, whereby No
offenders have to do community 41%
work?
Base: 53n answers Yes
59%
What should offenders do as part of
this scheme?
30. Specific issues in Brentford
Most are aware (at least ‘sometimes’) of
planning developments before the start
of construction.
Are you aware of planning developments Is there a vacant plot of land near you
before they start building? that could be opened up to the
Would like to community, or that isn’t maintained?
be Yes
9% 23%
No respondent could identify vacant
plots of land, however they pointed to a
variety of disused or derelict sites:
No
9%
Sometimes
59%
32. 2001 Census Demographics
for Brentford & Isleworth
Total 2001 Population: 105,343
Gender: Education:
Male: 48.6% Full time students: 5.8%
Female: 51.4% Graduates 16-74: 37.2%
No Qualifications 16-74: 19.3%
Age:
Under 18: 20.7% Accomodation :
18-60: 63.8% Owner-Occupied: 59%
Over 60: 15.5% Social Housing: 21.5% (Council:
16.1%, Housing Ass.: 5.4%)
Origins and ethnicity Privately Rented: 16.7%
Born outside UK: 30.3% Homes without central heating
White: 70% and/or private bathroom: 7.2%
Black: 4.6%
Asian: 18.7%
Mixed: 3.3%
Other: 3.4%
Religion:
Christian: 55.5%
Hindu: 6.6%
Muslim: 8.2%
Sikh: 5.1%
33. Internet Access
70% of households had access in 2009
Households with access to the Internet, UK
18.3 million households in the UK (70 per cent) had Internet access in 2009. This
is an increase of just under 2 million households (11 per cent) over the last year
and 4 million households (28 per cent) since 2006. UK estimates are not
available prior to 2006.
The region with the highest level of access was London, with 80 per cent. The
region with the lowest access level was Scotland, with 62 per cent.
Sixty-three per cent of all UK households had a broadband connection in 2009,
up from 56 per cent in 2008. Of those households with Internet access, 90 per
cent had a broadband connection in 2009, an increase from 69 per cent in 2006.
In 2009, 37.4 million adults (76 per cent of the UK adult population) accessed the
Internet in the three months prior to interview. The number of adults who had
never accessed the Internet fell to 10.2 million (21 per cent) in 2009.
Sixty four per cent of all adults who were recent Internet users (having accessed
the Internet in the three months prior to interview) had ever purchased goods or
services over the Internet in 2009. Of these, 83 per cent (26 million) had
purchased within the last three months.
Sources: National Statistics Omnibus Survey