PEOPLE in Harlow are being asked to fill in a national survey about highways and transport – Essex County Council will then use the results to plan its work and budget.

A random selection of people will receive the National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction survey through the post in the next few weeks.

Essex County Council is one of 78 local authorities to sign up to the standardised survey which asks members of the public exactly the same questions, wherever they live in the country.

Results from the survey are used by local authorities to make comparisons, share in best practice and identify opportunities to work together in the future.

The questionnaire will be sent to a random sample of Essex residents in June, followed by a reminder. Local and national results will be published in early October.

Residents who receive the questionnaire can complete the survey on line if they prefer. A short web address will be printed on the front of the questionnaire and they will be required to enter a code before completing the questionnaire.

There are questions about roads, pavements, street lights and transport. Analysis of the results is one way that Essex County Council can assess how it is performing and which services to prioritise and to improve.

Cllr Rodney Bass, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: “We often hear that people are unhappy with potholes and street lighting. This survey gives residents a chance to tell us what they think about all of our work.

“There is more to Essex Highways than potholes and streetlights. We manage 10,000 miles of roads and pavements, keep over 236,000 drains clear, send out 59 gritting lorries in the winter and this year we are spending £2 million on road flooding hotspots.

“This survey is residents’ chance to tell us what we’re doing well and what we could do better. We will look at the results when planning our work and budget.”

Peter Radford, Chair of the NHT Network Survey Steering Group said: “There are clear benefits to conducting a public survey in this way. As well as providing excellent value for money, it also enables everyone involved to identify areas of best practice and spot national, regional and local trends.

“This is not about producing a league table to champion one geographical area over another, it is about understanding customer views better and working together to deliver the most satisfactory yet efficient outcomes for local residents.”