A community group has pledged to help deliver improvements to a south Norfolk market town after hundreds of residents had their say on its future.A consultation came to an end on July 31 after townsfolk were asked to 'do the Q' to help shape a 20 year vision for Harleston.

A COMMUNITY group has pledged to help deliver improvements to a south Norfolk market town after hundreds of residents had their say on its future.

A consultation came to an end on July 31 after townsfolk were asked to 'do the Q' to help shape a 20 year vision for Harleston.

Organisers from the Have Your Say group spoke of their delight this week after 550 people completed and returned their questionnaires.

The forms, which are currently being analysed by a team of volunteers, will be used to establish a detailed Harleston town plan in the autumn.

Ian Carstairs, chairman of the independent Have Your Say group, said the responses to the 57 questions on topics such as shopping, traffic, housing and community facilities, would help tackle issues and create new opportunities. He added that the steering group had been impressed by the quality of the feedback.

'I think it is great that the people in the town have responded so well and gives us a good feel to the things that are important to them.'

'We have got to start somewhere. Some things will be doable and other things will provide pointers to the direction we want to go and set us off in the right direction,' he said.

The project, which does not have dedicated funding, has the backing of Harleston Town Council, and will also help form the town's response to South Norfolk Council's consultation on the future growth of the district, said Mr Carstairs.

'We are very pleased to see how much people care about their town and people are generally very content. The good thing is that the concerns and opportunities have been set out in a very sensible and helpful way. I think it is terrific and there is a real sense of cooperative action,' he added.