Knaresborough residents air views on issues

Knaresborough Voice, a group of individuals and associations around the town, gathered the views of 135 people through an online survey.

Spokesman Peter Lacey said: “Some 5,700 votes were cast and key themes bubbled to the surface.

“Creating more opportunities for young people in our town came out top but valuing everybody’s contributions and enriching the town centre offer were also seen to be important.”

Peter added: “With a desire to have a distinct and local voice for the market town, the group is committed to building on the opportunities presented by new Local Government arrangements in the coming years and sees local conversations such as these as fundamental to that process.

“Knaresborough Voice is non-political and looks to facilitate collaboration between the wide range of community groups already present and active in the town.

“The people of Knaresborough have cut their teeth on a new and innovative way to find out what really matters to them in making life even better in what is already a great town live in.”

He added that the online survey tool is now being used by the group to seek views on the 20’s Plenty campaig and mental wellbeing after Covid.

“The 20’s plenty campaign has asked us to seek views on town centre speed limits and we are hoping for similar levels of input around this important issue of safety and the environmental challenges we face.

“With the topic of Mental wellbeing after Covid, the Orb Community arts project want to know what impact the pandemic has had on this important subject.”

A range of community groups across the town, as well as representatives from the town council and North Yorkshire County Council, are being invited to a workshop later in April to plan action in response to this and other survey material.

“The emphasis at that workshop will be collaboration and celebration of the different ways in which we can respond to what matters to local people,” added peter.

Visit: www.knaresboroughvoice.org.uk/conversations_home/