Initial analysis of the High Street survey suggests that, overall, respondents are very positive about the centre of Dorking in terms of the living, shopping and surrounding environment. At the opposite end of the responses the transportation area was felt to be most in need of improvement, with traffic and traffic congestion top of the improvement needs. Although both retail and community aspects showed similarly symmetrial views regarding current provision and improvment needs, there was a wide disparity of views regarding retail provision...the shops and shopping. A more detailed breakdown of the issues raised by respondents appears below, based on over 1600 comments from just over 390 interviewees, although it is too early in the Health Check process to discuss these in detail.

The survey highlights the qualities that residents and visitors find attractive about Dorking and, given the high level of comments received, there seems to be a general consensus on these. On the improvement side the low level of comments suggests one or two signficant factors, although these will be expored in more detail in the follow on survey (currently under way).

The extent and quality of the retail offering is the area that produced the widest diversity of opinion and, it may be argued, disagreement. To extent this may have been influenced by the sampling technique, Saturdays and Sundays and dominated by residents, but it is hoped that the follow-on survey may shed more light on the issues. As it currently stands, however, the spread of opinion regarding Dorkings attractiveness as regards shops and shopping is equally balanced by opinions regarding what needs to be done to improve the retail offering.

A relatively low level of comments received, relative to other Health Check themes, and symmetry of views regarding current provision and the need for improvement, suggests no great weight of opinion regarding issues. That said, there were still significant comments made regarding youth provision and public safety, which are clearly still issues that some residents feel strongly about. At this stage it would be premature to come to any firm conclusions until the follow-on surveys have been completed.

Transport is the area most respondents felt was in need of improvement, traffic and traffic congestion coming top of the list. On the positive side it was somewhat of a surprise that ease of parking came out as highly as it did, but on the whole the results highlight the need for significant improvement in a wide number areas.