HUNDREDS of members of the public are due to be signed up to a new initiative aimed at gauging the quality of borough council services.

Some 500 people are set to take part in the scheme, and will be sent questionnaires twice a year asking them what they think of how the council is run.

The people are to be recruited from Congleton and other towns across the borough by Market Research UK, at a cost of £7,500.

The money will also pay for the initial questionnaire this summer and subsequent report, and details of those people recruited to the panel.

A further £1,500 is due to be spent upgrading the council's existing statistical software, and posting out the second questionnaire in January 2000.

Borough policy and information services manager Michael Chatwin said the 500 people would be chosen as a representative sample of the whole population of the borough.

"Departments within the council will be invited to put questions on the questionnaire, so they can get feedback from the public on their particular service or proposals for it," he said.

The annual cost of the panel and two surveys will be £4,000, and the scheme is part of the council's approach to public consultation in line with so-called ''Best Value'' requirements.

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