A PUBLIC presentation on village improvements and concerns has been shown to residents in Ashwell. Findings from the Ashwell Parish Plan were released when members of the parish council displayed the results taken from a questionnaire. Parish councillor

A PUBLIC presentation on village improvements and concerns has been shown to residents in Ashwell.

Findings from the Ashwell Parish Plan were released when members of the parish council displayed the results taken from a questionnaire.

Parish councillor Fergus Moynihan said: "The parish plan provides residents with the opportunity to comment on issues that affect their daily lives.

"We devised a full public presentation to discuss issues that were raised by the questionnaire. It was a good idea because it generated even more feedback from residents."

One resident said: "The plan is a brilliant idea. They have gone out and consulted with residents and wanted to know our opinions.

"The presentation was a great idea as it's good for residents to see the data for themselves - quite often this is not the case.

"The findings were clearly set out in charts and diagrams and there was some really important and interesting information on show.

"I think the presentation was incredibly important and can take the village forward."

The survey was sent to every home in the village and involved questions relating to the household and individuals. Some 42 per cent of Ashwell's 1,460 residents took part in the questionnaire.

The questionnaire revealed that a high percentage of people wanted to see new shops in the village - particularly a greengrocers.

High satisfaction was shown for the existing shops in the High Street.

The survey also showed that the majority of residents were open to some sort of future development, but only on a small scale.

Transport issues were high on the agenda, with traffic and parking proving to be two main concerns. Residents also included the standard in road maintenance as another concern.

It also showed that most people were satisfied with the train service, although they did want to see more fast trains.

Dr Moynihan said: "The questionnaire has been welcomed by everyone and overall we have had some positive feedback.

"Parish plans are immensely useful, but you need to do them every 10-12 years. What it does is identify how the village has changed and how people feel towards progress."

Since the last questionnaire was issued in 1994, the survey showed an increase in people using the train services and a decrease in residents living in local authority owned accommodation.

Dr Moynihan added: "The findings have been interesting and although we are in the early stages, I think it has been successful.

"We've collected the figures and compared them to previous surveys.

"We now need to work on the desires of the village and put all the findings together and decide what actions we need to take," he said.