RESIDENTS have told one of their local councillors what they think of their town as part of two councils’ community engagement initiative.

People from Hurstlea Court, Needham Market, were taking part in the scheme run by Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council, which will help shape the authorities’ future plans.

Residents commented that they thought Needham Market was a safe place to live but had concerns over parking, buses and the location of toilets in the town.

Councillor for Needham Market, Wendy Marchant, said: “I really enjoyed this meeting and was made to feel very welcome.

“Clearly we need to see if we can address the matters that were raised, which ultimately are all about the quality of life of the residents here.”

Both councils need to prioritise what they spend money on in response to the cuts to their Government funding.

Leader of Mid Suffolk, councillor Tim Passmore said: “This is very different from previous consultations in that we are starting with a blank sheet and are looking at what kind of communities people want to live in not just in the next year but over the next few decades and more.”

Babergh’s strategy committee chairman, councillor Jennie Jenkins, said: “The community engagement process is our chance to have a really meaningful dialogue with groups and individuals about how our councils can work with communities to maximise the impact of the reduced resources in the longer-term.

“We want to find out as much as we can about the people who live and work in our communities.”

The community engagement will continue for the next few months and will see councillors from across south and central Suffolk attend meetings to listen to the ideas and concerns of groups, businesses and people.