A SURVEY launched in Amesbury is going to quiz residents and businesses in the town and surrounding area about the things that affect their daily lives and how they can be improved.

The move follows a public meeting held in the town earlier in the year, which led to the setting-up of an Amesbury market towns partnership, a steering group of local volunteers to undertake the survey through a range of local consultation exercises.

Steering group chairman and Amesbury town councillor Ian Mitchell said: "This is an exciting time for the local community.

"It is our opportunity to identify the problems and prospects for the area, to influence a range of statutory and voluntary organisations about how services could be delivered and, where we are able, to make the changes ourselves through local community action."

The survey's main function is to find out about the things that matter locally and which affect daily lives, and extensive surveys and consultation will be used to achieve this.

The survey is being prepared under the guidance of the Wiltshire market towns partnership, which is being funded by the south-west regional development agency, the Countryside Agency and Wiltshire county council.

Its purpose is to promote the regeneration of market towns, and a number of surveys are already under way in towns across the county.

A grant of £20,000 has been made to the Amesbury steering group to help produce what will become a community strategic action plan.

Mr Mitchell said: "It is very encouraging that volunteers from all walks of local life have come forward to help form the steering group and undertake what will be quite a daunting exercise, if we are to fulfil our job and get to the core of the issues."

Steering group volunteer Dawn Walters, Amesbury Infants' School headteacher, said: "We shall be asking the general public and a wide cross-section of local interests, from businesses to local community groups, over the coming months, what are the local issues that interest them.

"Our analysis of the consultation and survey results will then be made available to everyone in the action plan"

District council member John Noeken said: "Like many in our community, steering group members have been prepared to give up their time to undertake this important community survey and I am grateful to them.

"It will be fascinating to see what the consultation exercise reveals."

The steering group meets monthly and it is expected that the community strategic action plan will be produced in about 18 months' time.