The Rural Services Network news service scored top marks in a survey of members.

The RSN also scored highly when it came to good policy and practice ideas.

Almost 400 members of the Rural Services Network took the trouble to respond to a survey run in late June and early July.

The study aimed to find out which of its existing services were most valued and what service developments would be helpful in future.

The policy topics of most interest to RSN members are (in order):

* community action
* transport
* land use planning
* broadband

Economic development and housing also scored highly among principal authorities.

The Weekly Email News Digest is the most popular RSN service, with 86% of members rating it as either very or fairly useful.

Principal authorities also value the RSN's work to develop performance profiles and financial reports for each local authority in membership.

Other existing services which draw a particularly favourable response are the RSN's partnership work with Defra, articles on its website and its State of Rural Services report.

Almost all of the existing services are felt to be useful by a majority of members.

Many of the ideas suggested in the survey for future development have a considerable degree of support.

However, lthough RSN members are especially keen to see increased provision of best practice case studies and for the organisation to input on more government consultation documents.

The RSN wishes to thanks all those who took part in the survey.

Thought will be given over the coming weeks to ways of taking on board the views expressed.