RESIDENTS in Christchurch are being encouraged to give their views as the long-awaited Neighbourhood Plan enters a crucial stage of public consultation.

The plan, which has been in development for nearly five years, has involved extensive work from councillors, residents and businesses.

It has now reached the official Regulation 14 stage, meaning the draft must be shared with the community for feedback before it can progress further.

A newsletter outlining the proposals has recently been delivered to households and residents are being asked to read the document and complete an online survey.

Christchurch Town Council says widespread participation is essential to move the plan forward.

“We have to consult with residents about what they like or dislike about the draft,” said mayor Cllr Vivienne Charrett.

“The next stage is for [the plan] to be reviewed by a government inspector, decides whether we have done it all correctly and part of this is to demonstrate that we have consulted widely and, hopefully, got a lot of responses back.”

Residents can view the plan and submit their feedback online at www.christchurchplan.uk and are asked to share the link with friends, neighbours and colleagues.

“Please fill this in if you can,” Viv added. “It will be much appreciated.”