A GROUP providing sheltered housing is conducting a survey in Barnard Castle to improve its service.

The Endeavour Housing Association is carrying out the survey at Gloucester Place, 16 two-bedroom flats for older people, which opened at the end of last year.

The association wants to find out what residents think of the flats, with their comments being used to advise on future developments.

Charlotte Howse, housing manager, said: "We constantly try to learn from our experiences, and the views of the residents on the standard of the building will help us continue to improve the developments of the future.

"We will also be advising the residents about the very close ties we have with out tenants and wider communities in other areas we work in, offering Barnard Castle residents to link to this relationship."

Endeavour is building five flats next door to Gloucester Place and converting the Hole in the Wall restaurant into general needs accommodation. Other projects involve eleven cottages at Copeland Row and a development of general needs housing at Middleton-in- Teesdale, on the site of a former pub and chemist's shop.

Charlotte Howse said: "In many rural areas, local people are facing tremendous problems in finding accommodation which they can afford, and we want to fill that gap.