ONLY 36 per cent of people believe their council provides value for money, according to a new survey.

And just 42 per cent are satisfied with how their local council runs things after residents were quizzed as part of the Place Survey 2008.

The study was carried out on behalf of the Lancashire Partnership, which includes the county and all district councils, as well as police and emergency services, the NHS and voluntary-sector and business representatives.

Questions were randomly sent to 3,000 homes across Hyndburn between October 2008 and January 2009 but just 800 responded.

More than 60 per cent of people said they were satisfied with local bus services and 80 per cent are satisfied with Hyndburn’s tips and recycling centres.

A total of 58 per cent of people said they were satisfied with the area where they live, 58 per cent agreed that their area was a place where people of different backgrounds got on with each other and more than 58 per cent said they feel like they belong to their neighbourhood.

On a county level, the Place Survey found that four out of five residents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live (79 per cent) and that 31 per cent of people believe that crime has increased in the last two years rather than decreased – just 18 per cent.

The survey also found that three-quarters of people say their health is good (74 per cent).

Ged Fitzgerald, chief executive of Lancashire County Council, said: "The Place Survey is very significant as it tells us what matters most to people and sets the standard against which our performance will be measured in future years.

"The key for all the organisations in the Lancashire Partnership is now to work together to deliver our services in a way that meets people’s expectations.

"We need to set joint priorities and help each other to achieve them."