Rochford District Council has commissioned Blue Sail, a tourism and destination consultancy, to develop a Cultural and Visitor Economy strategy for the District to see how they can grow and support tourism and provide better cultural experiences for local people.

As part of this work, Blue Sail is seeking the views of local residents and organisations in the cultural and visitor economy sectors. Blue Sail wants to understand how cultural and visitor experiences meet the needs of local residents and their visiting friends and relatives. They are also asking questions about two important Rochford District Council-owned sites: The Mill Arts & Events Centre (Rayleigh) and The Freight House (Rochford). The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. All findings will be analysed and presented back to the Council anonymously.

Cllr Michael Hoy, Chair of the Economic Development, Regeneration and Tourism Committee at Rochford District Council said: “We hope as many residents and businesses respond to this survey so that we get meaningful feedback to guide the strategy. In particular, we want to hear how the community would like to see The Mill Arts & Events Centre and the Freight House being used moving forward.”

The online survey can be found at www.rochford.gov.uk/ukspf.

Paper copies of the survey will be available at the Rochford District Council offices at South Street and at The Mill Arts & Events Centre. To request a copy of the survey by post, please phone Rochford District Council on 01702 546366.

The survey closes on 19 September.

This project has been funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund