Wealdon District Council’s latest Best Value User Satisfaction Survey has found that satisfaction with the area’s sports and leisure facilities, operated by sports trust Freedom Leisure, has gone up by 10 per cent since the last report in 2003.

The survey was conducted in autumn 2006, when a questionnaire was sent to 2,500 randomly selected residents over 18 years of age. Of the 1,034 that responded, 62 per cent reported being ‘very or fairly satisfied’ with the leisure services provided.

Fifty-two per cent had used the facilities in the past 12 months and 18 per cent used them weekly.

“Sport and leisure activities play an important part in keeping people healthy and happy,” said Wealden councillor Bob Standley, cabinet member for finance and assets.

“Freedom Leisure must be congratulated in providing a service for Wealden which meets with such encouraging levels of growing customer satisfaction from residents.”

Jeff Hart, Freedom Leisure’s managing director, said: “We are delighted to see the findings of this Best Value survey, which we attribute in great part to the significant financial investment that our leisure trust has made in the Wealden leisure centres over the past three years.

“We also strongly believe that it is the enthusiasm and quality of service provided by our experienced teams which plays a major part in achieving this positive customer feedback.”