snYKU9q5Mt's video: Devizes people love their town says survey

The vast majority of people in the Devizes area would not want to live anywhere else in the county, a survey conducted recently has found. But there are not enough clothes or furniture shops and too many charity shops, say local people. Members of the Devizes Community Area Partnership were delighted at the response to their questionnaire distributed to homes in the area in the spring. Nearly 3,000 people responded to the questionnaire, helping Wiltshire Council draw up an accurate community area plan. The results were presented to Monday evening's meeting of the partnership. Unsurprisingly, traffic and parking were among issues raising strongest opinions. Nearly 90 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: "At certain times of the day, eg the school run, it becomes difficult to get around Devizes by car." But a similar majority used either a car or motorcycle to get to work or do the shopping. On aspects of Devizes and district that need improving, the condition of road and pavement surfaces was high on the list, with nearly 70 per cent of people ticking the box. A more visible police presence got nearly 50 per cent approval from respondents. Despite that, the vast majority of people feel very safe or fairly safe when outside after dark or during the day. After dark, though, 14 per cent felt fairly unsafe and 5.7 per cent very unsafe. Noel Woolrych, who chairs the community safety committee of the partnership, said: "I'd like to meet these people and ask them where they would feel safe. "We live in the safest part of a very safe county." Respondents were asked to say if they felt there were enough or too many of various different kinds of shop. The vast majority said there are not enough clothes shops for men, women and children and nearly 82 per cent said there were not enough furniture shops. But nearly 59 per cent of those who responded said they felt there were too many charity shops. The Sue Ryder charity has just opened the town's eighth charity shop. Some 48 per cent of respondents said they disagreed with the statement: "I can get everything I want from the range of shops in Devizes." Despite that, nearly 82 per cent of people asked said if they had the choice of living elsewhere in Wiltshire they would not move away from the Devizes area. Roger Chadwick, chairman of DCAP, said: "We are very grateful for all the work that has gone into this survey. "We now need to set up a steering group to work out our priorities for the community area plan." The priorities will be presented to the next meeting of the Devizes Area Board, which meets at Devizes Bowls Club on October 3. Thursday 8th September 2011