Questionnaires are being sent to homes throughout the district asking for views on what it’s like to live in their area and whether the public services they receive are what is needed.

The Place Survey is going out to more than 21,000 homes in North Yorkshire – about 3,000 of them in Ryedale – as part of a national initiative to help local authorities and other public sector organisations work out how well they are performing and what they could do to improve.

Ryedale Council, along with other districts in the county and North Yorkshire County Council, work closely with other public services such as the police, health, business and community representatives to make decisions about the provision of services.

All the authorities are working in partnership to ask for opinions on aspects of the quality of life in the local area, such as community safety and local services which are important to local people.

Ryedale Council leader Keith Knaggs said: “This research will tell us how well Ryedale District Council is delivering the services it provides and help us decide areas for improvement.”

The survey covers issues such as community safety, health and dentistry provision, entertainment and the arts, parks and open spaces, as well as other services provided by local councils and police.

It asks everything from how safe people feel after dark in their area and how satisfied they are with refuse collection to what they think about their local GP, shopping facilities and traffic congestion.

The survey also wants to know how well local people feel informed about local public services overall and whether they feel they can get involved in local democracy and volunteering.

Anyone who receives the survey – which is being conducted for all the authorities by research company, Snap – has until December to complete it. The full results will be released in early 2009.

Responses, which will not include personal information such as names and addresses, will only be used by public service organisations to monitor public services and assess their performance.

l WHAT DO YOU THINK? Are you satisfied with local services in Ryedale?Email: sheila.elgey@yrnltd.co.uk

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