Case study · Residents and communities
A growing programme of resident research and consultation with Exeter City Council
What began with resident research and a budget and Corporate Plan consultation has developed into a wider programme of work, including Exeter’s 2026 resident survey and qualitative research on the Community Infrastructure Levy and Customer Standards.
AudienceExeter residents, Council staff, and community organisations and groups
ApproachRepresentative surveys, focus groups, depth interviews, workshops, thematic analysis, and reporting
Value to Exeter City CouncilAn evolving evidence programme supporting strategic planning, service standards, infrastructure consultation, and resident understanding
The brief
- Exeter City Council first commissioned Enventure Research to undertake resident research on what was working well, what could improve, and how people felt about living in Exeter
- This was followed by a representative budget and Corporate Plan consultation, and Enventure Research was commissioned again to deliver the Council’s 2026 resident survey
- The relationship has also extended into two further consultation projects focused on the Community Infrastructure Levy and Customer Standards
The approach
- The resident survey and budget consultation used representative interviewing, including telephone and face-to-face fieldwork, alongside open online participation where appropriate
- The subsequent Community Infrastructure Levy and Customer Standards projects used qualitative research, including focus groups, depth interviews, and workshops
- Participants across the qualitative work included residents, Council staff, and community organisations and groups
- Enventure Research undertook thematic analysis of the qualitative evidence and produced clear reports of the findings
The outcome
- The earlier budget and Corporate Plan consultation generated 1,101 representative interviews alongside 597 open online responses
- The programme has provided Exeter City Council with independent evidence across resident perceptions, strategic priorities, service standards, and consultation topics
- Repeat commissions, including the 2026 resident survey and subsequent qualitative projects, have allowed the Council to use a mix of quantitative and qualitative approaches as different evidence needs have emerged