The study provides valuable information on how they want to stay informed of what is happening in and around the port of Den Helder in terms of accessibility, safety and quality of life. Awareness of the Maritime Cluster varies: 39% of people know it well, 46% know it a little and 15% do not know it yet. The Maritime Cluster programme team wants to improve this.
What do the participants consider important?
Participants are predominantly positive about developments in the port: 18% call them very positive and 42% positive. Only a small proportion (approximately 9%) experience them as negative. Three-quarters of participants consider improvements in infrastructure and accessibility to be important. A safe naval port, growth opportunities for local companies and expansion of the port are also important. Many participants also want to know how they will be involved in these plans.
Communication and news
The Maritime Cluster newsletter is well read; 43% of participants already receive it and 46% have signed up via the survey. Local news media such as the Stadsnieuwspagina’s, Helderse Courant and Noordkop 24/7 are also widely used. The social media channels of our municipality and the Maritime Cluster are less well known, while news is regularly posted there, for example on the LinkedIn page of the Maritime Cluster.
Responses from the open questions
The open questions reveal that people mainly request attention for accessibility, quality of life and clear information. Accessibility to Texel, the naval port and the port of Den Helder are frequently mentioned. At the same time, people believe that improvements should not come at the expense of local residents and that the living environment should remain safe and attractive. There is appreciation for the cooperation between the municipality, the province and the Ministry of Defence, but there is also a request to involve residents, companies and the region early and clearly.
Follow-up
This study helps to further improve communication and better align it with the wishes of the various groups. The programme team will actively work on this and will also involve the Nieuwe Diep/Nieuwe Werk sounding board group.
