MOST Hampshire residents are happy with the way the county council is running things, a survey has found.

Residents rated countryside services and primary schools most highly with an 87 per cent satisfaction rating.

Since the last healthcheck two years ago most services had broadly maintained their ratings.

However satisfaction of elderly services and waste and recycling dropped by six and 12 percentage points.

The council blamed a lack of funding to deal with more elderly people and council leader Ken Thornber added more awareness about recycling had left "residents increasingly frustrated at the things they cannot recycle."

The top concerns were facilities for young people and affordable housing, reducing crime and new development.

Only half of the residents felt the council kept them well informed of services and activities.

Hampshire Council County commissioned pollsters to ask a representative sample of 1,655 residents a range of questions about their quality of life, key concerns and views on services.

The county's main attraction was the peace and quiet, the easy access to the countryside and coast, and the range of shopping facilities Cllr Thornber, said: "The vast majority of residents are satisfied with the County Council and its services. However, we recognise that there are areas that the people of Hampshire want to see improved."