THE majority of people consulted on West Somerset District Council's 'key sites' proposals did not think Minehead needed another supermarket, although more than half thought the authority's new offices should be in the Minehead area. That said, around a quarter of respondents to a telephone survey called for the offices to either stay as they were or be rebuilt in Williton - even though those options were not even included in the survey. As reported in the Free Press last month, the district council's telephone questionnaire was criticised for appearing to be biased in favour of the council's preferred plans to sell Vulcan Road car park in Minehead for a retail development and to build new offices somewhere in the town. The survey also listed self-employed people as 'retired' - the ensuing results claimed 41 per cent of respondents were retired and then stated there was "strong resistance towards retail development on the Vulcan Road site from older retired residents". The consultants tasked with compiling the results, theresearchbox, also claimed their research had shown "the huge extent to which residents go outside the district to do their shopping". And they concluded: "There is a significant call for certain types of new retail outlet, notably - another supermarket, clothing and footwear, DIY, books and music". Conversely, using the consultants' own calculations, 61 per cent of respondents felt a new supermarket was not needed, although the vast majority did believe it was important to have more clothing and footwear shops and a DIY store, and that space should be retained for the existing twice-weekly market. Respondents also felt it was important for the council to attract new businesses into Minehead, particularly tourism and manufacturing companies. But the overriding result from the consultation revealed people thought the council should be spending any money from the possible sale of Vulcan Road car park on affordable housing and facilities for young people. The consultants concluded: "Minehead is rated highly as a place to live and visit but comes in for most criticism as a place to shop, to work and for leisure activities. "The town is not felt to capitalise on the seafront and the key sites were felt to be important in helping with the efforts to revive the town. "Competition is felt to be lacking in terms of the retail offer in Minehead . . . residents do not want the High Street to 'die' but to be enhanced, improved and developed. "The facilities attracting most criticism tend to centre on cultural activities and things for teenagers to do."