A MAJOR survey has found 67 per cent of people are satisfied with the way Worcester City Council operates - despite some mixed views on its services.

The results of a big summer poll have been published revealing how more taxpayers are content with the authority, despite concern about whether it offers 'value for money'.

In total 897 Worcester people were asked to take part in Worcestershire's big Viewpoint Survey, which was mailed out to householders in May and June.

Some 432 city people responded and 67 per cent said they were satisfied with 'the way the city council runs things', an increase of two per cent on 2015.

When residents were asked about the council providing 'value for money' just 56 per cent agreed, although that two was up by two per cent.

Some 81 per cent backed the view that Worcester is a nice place to live, a rise of one per cent on the previous year, while 66 per cent of respondents said they felt they 'belonged to their local area', also up by one per cent.

But the results of some of the more detailed questions around the council may give the current Labour leadership cause for concern.

Just 51 per cent of people agreed that 'local public services seek the views of local

residents', while only 46 per cent backed the view that 'local public services act on the

concerns of local residents'.

Those verdicts are better than the results in 2015, although last year the questions were not specific to the city council, with bosses warning against any direct comparisons.

A total of 81 per cent said they were satisfied with Worcester's parks and open spaces, compared to 80 per cent in 2016.

Some 85 per cent said they were happy with rubbish collections, which was also up by one per cent.

Those two high scores come after months of wrangling between the current Labour administration and the opposition Conservative group over whether or not both services should be outsourced to the private sector, a proposal which has now been scrapped.

The survey also revealed how 56 per cent of people say Worcester's public spaces are kept clear of litter, down from 61 per cent the previous year.

It follows concern about several areas of Worcester being hit by rubbish this summer including St Peter's, parts of the city centre and Tolladine Road.

Just 49 per cent of people said they were pleased with the Worcestershire Hub public contact centre, a dismal figure and down from 57 per cent in 2016.

The service, now ran by a firm called Civica, has long struggled with staffing shortages.

In some of the other results, 61 per cent said they were satisfied with Worcester's museums and art galleries, down from 70 per cent, while 52 per cent backed the council's sport and leisure, up from 49 per cent.

Councillors will discuss the findings during a meeting of the performance, management and budget scrutiny committee at the Guildhall next Monday from 7pm.