Climate change, access to the NHS, housing and education were the most important national issues identified by Sidmouth residents at a street stall last Saturday (September 2).

The stall was set up in Market Place by East Devon Labour Party to sample public opinion.

Passers-by were asked to identify their three main areas of concern from a list of 10, which also included immigration/asylum, crime, the cost of living, child poverty, defence/security and general distrust of politicians. They were also asked to respond to specific questions relating to the Government’s environmental policies.

Local volunteer Sue Mills said: “We were struck by the careful consideration people gave to the questions posed and were impressed by people’s knowledge on various aspects of a complex subject.

“Many people expressed their anger about ongoing discharge of sewage into rivers and beaches. The need for more urgent action on climate change also came up repeatedly. We were also told that insulation of housing should be upgraded and that the effective ban on new onshore wind turbines was a serious mistake.”

People also voiced their opinions on the extension of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) scheme to reduce air pollution in London and the plans for further North Sea oil and gas exploration.