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RESIDENT satisfaction with leisure services in York has remained below 50 per cent for a fourth year running, a survey has revealed.

City of York Council said 1,655 York residents participated in its Residents' Opinion Survey in November last year, the results of which have now been presented to a meeting of the authority's executive.

The survey showed 44 per cent of those who returned "usable" and "completed" questionnaires were satisfied with leisure services in the city.

The annual survey measures satisfaction levels with various council-delivered and non-council delivered services, and covers topics such as social services, bus services and parks and open spaces.

The council's Labour Group said the average satisfaction level among residents in unitary councils was 58 per cent.

Coun Ken King, shadow executive member for leisure and culture, said: "The city has seen the Barbican closed down, and Yearsley pool closed for a significant period of time.

"It is little wonder people are dissatisfied with the general standard being provided.

"More than half of people believe sports and leisure facilities have stayed at the same level over the last three years, while a third believe they have got worse.

"Resident satisfaction for leisure facilities has been stable at around 42 per cent since 2004/5 which is not only very poor but a significant fall from the 55 per cent enjoyed under the last Labour administration."

The group's leisure committee chairwoman Coun Sonja Crisp said people seemed to be "much happier" with those leisure services not run by the council.

But outgoing council leader Coun Steve Galloway said: "If you take all the performance indicators - which is the only fair way of doing it - we have improved. For example, in 2002/3, which is the last year of Labour rule in York, we had 53 per cent of performance indicators performing above the unitary average and that's increased to 69 per cent this year. So overall we've made a lot of progress.

"On sports facilities - which is the only one in the bottom 25 per cent percentile - since then we've reopened a completely refurbished Yearsley pool, we're starting work on a new pool at Oaklands, we've got plans for a new pool at the university, and I think when all of those facts come in play there will be a change."

3:44pm Friday 9th May 2008

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