FENLAND District Council received 4,368 replies to its questionnaire inviting residents to say which council services they thought were most important – the biggest response ever to an FDC consultation.

The results, in priority order, were:

1. Emptying your rubbish bins and recycling.

2. Keeping your street clean.

3. Protecting and helping our most vulnerable residents.

4. Helping you feel safer, including CCTV cameras in community locations.

5. Providing and maintaining car parks in your town.

6. Providing market town public toilets.

7. Providing markets and supporting market town events.

8. Providing customer services via our town shops and phone contact centre.

9. Supporting towns, parishes and community groups through advice and funding.

10. Providing opportunities to exercise in our leisure centres.

11. Offering help and advice to local businesses.

12. Attracting tourists to the area (Fenland).

13. Supporting arts and culture activities.

The responses will help councillors in the tough decisions they have to take on delivering services over the next few years. They have already been taken into account in the budget for 2011/12, announced last week.