Survey’s aim is a better Oldham

RESIDENTS are being asked to put pen to paper and have their say about life in Oldham.

Comments about their community and the services that matter most are being sought from the Place Survey, which starts this month.

More than 6,000 questionnaires will be sent out asking for comments on all aspects of life in Oldham, including the area people live in, access to public services, and how easy it is to get involved with decision-making.

Ipsos-MORI will carry out the survey on behalf of the Oldham Partnership.

The results will enable the council and its partner agencies to get a better picture of what is most important to people.

It will also help to identify any outstanding needs connected with community issues, and any improvements that may be needed to public and community services.

Residents who receive one of the 6,400 questionnaires are being encouraged to fill them in and return them as soon as possible.

The leader of Oldham Council, Howard Sykes, said: “The information provided to us will be vital in helping to work effectively with communities to improve the quality of life for everyone.

“I would encourage everyone who receives the postal questionnaire to complete it and then to return it to us. The more information we have the better informed our work will be to help communities in the future.”

Nick Brown, chairman of the Oldham Partnership, said: “The Place Survey is vital in order to understand people’s opinions, experiences and perceptions, so that services in Oldham reflect their views.

“Listening to the views of people is absolutely central to the Oldham Partnership so the questionnaire is extremely important to our work.

“The information will help us to achieve our vision of making Oldham a place everyone is proud to belong to.”

All personal details will remain confidential and Ipsos-MORI is bound by its code of conduct not to identify individual respondent’s views.