A COUNCIL with a budget of £700m a year has been told by a citizens' panel that 41 per cent of them are satisfied with the condition of roads - but 37 per cent are not.

Now North Yorkshire County Council says it hopes to rectify this through increased cash from the Government.

Similar results have been posted for the condition of footpaths in the survey - 38 per cent satisfied, 36 per cent dissatisfied.

There are 1,867 members on the panel - 978 men and 889 women over a broad age band - all living in the districts of Harrogate, Craven, Hambleton, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby.

A total of 64 per cent told the council they were satisfied with the winter service for keeping roads clear, but only 27 per cent believed the corresponding footpath service was satisfactory.

The county council says increasing road and footpath maintenance came out as the number one priority, followed by improving road safety and reducing the cost of public transport.

Main priorities for encouraging more use of public transport included better timetable information at bus stops, cheaper fares and better quality buses with easy access.

The survey showed half of the 1,439 respondents believed park-and-ride services would make the biggest contribution to easing traffic.

On public rights of way, 54 per cent of users were satisfied with maintenance, with only 20 per cent dissatisfied.