NEARLY 9 out of 10 Dorset residents reported being satisfied with their local area as a place to live.

The 88 per cent overall satisfaction rating comes from a residents’ survey carried out by Dorset Council in October and November 2019. The exercise will be repeated each year as part of monitoring performance towards the objectives of the Dorset Council Plan.

The same survey found 93% saying they felt safe when outside in their local area during the night or day, although when asked about night time only this dropped to 77per cent.

Only just over half (53%) agree that their local area is a place where people from different ethnic backgrounds get on well.

73 per cent said they felt a sense of ‘belonging’ to their local community.

In a pre-amble to a performance report it says: “In general terms, the majority of people in Dorset experience healthy life expectancies and find Dorset a good place to live, feel safe and enjoy the natural environment.

"During the pandemic, we have seen a growth in neighbourliness, informal and formal volunteering and forged strong relationships with community groups through our Community Shield response and partnerships with town and parish councils and mutual aid groups.”