An advertisment appeared in the St Austell Voice on Wednesday 8th July 2009, advertising a "Public Exhibition". No reference was made to consultation.
Wainhomes also wrote to some selected neighbours about a week before the Exhibition.
At the Exhibition, visitors were invited to leave their names and addresses, and to complete a questionnaire.
Many visitors felt obliged to complete the questionnaire there and then; others were unable or did not want to. For these, there was no forwarding address on the questionnaire, although a pre-paid return envelope was available on request. This information was not common knowledge.
Visitors were told that detail of the exhibition could be posted to them. Any visitor making this request had an asterisk marked against their name.
Did you submit one of these forms? Were you told, as I was, that they had to build on green field sites because the Eco Town was not going to get the go-ahead?
Would you have submitted different answers if you had known that the Eco Town was to get government approval a few days later?
Do you wonder why the exercise was completed in such a rush?
I took the form to a professional in the field of research, who offered the following criticism:
I have looked at the survey and it wouldn't be considered a scientifically sound way of carrying out consultation. The researcher wouldn't be able to make generalisations from any results.
This is because:
- The only respondents are those who attended the event
- It looks as if the form would have to have been completed on site - no return address
- It assumes that the person would be in favour of the project but with amendments
- It gives no opportunity to state that the project isn't wanted at all
- There is no way of telling whether the person completing the form is an interested party or not