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Â鶹ÊÓƵ is inviting residents and businesses to talk about their town.

Local people are encouraged to join 'Our South Shields Conversation', which is launching next Monday (Oct 10).

The six-week consultation will ask people how and why they use the town centre, as well as seeking ideas and suggestions for its future.

The town centre has been divided into five 'zones' for discussion: Mill Dam, New College, Town Centre, Coronation Street, and Southern Gateway.

The consultation will outline the strengths, challenges and opportunities facing each area and will offer potential options for future regeneration and development.

Cllr Margaret Meling, Lead Member for Economic Growth, Skills and Climate Change, said: "This is an exciting opportunity for people to get involved in a conversation about the future of the town centre.

"We've come up with various possibilities for each zone to gauge people's opinions and stimulate feedback.

"This is about gathering information to help inform a masterplan, which will be a live, evolving document, flexible enough to react to changing markets and local and national circumstances.

"Over the last decade, the council has invested significantly and created the infrastructure and environment to generate confidence in the private sector to invest. We will continue to do that, unlocking land for development and focusing on our public realm, while acting as enable and influencer."

This is likely to be the first in series of 'South Tyneside Conversations', with further consultations and masterplanning for Hebburn and Jarrow planned next year.

Cllr Meling added: "This is all part of our new approach, we want to work collectively with local people, listening to and prioritising their views and having an evidence base on which to inform decisions.

"We want residents and businesses to be at the heart of discussions about the future of their town and so we'd encourage as many people as possible to get involved. We are looking forward to hearing their views and ideas."

There are various ways to get involved in the Conversation, including an online survey, a series of drop-in events, and a coffee cart in the town centre from October 17 for seven days for people to stop by and fill in a questionnaire while enjoying a free cuppa.

Drop in events will be held:

• Sat 29 Oct, The Word in the Atrium, 12.30pm - 3.30pm
• Wed 2 Nov, The Round (at The Word), 4pm- 6.30pm  
• Fri 4 Nov, South Shields Town Hall Reception Room, 2pm- 6pm
• Mon 7 November, Ocean Road Community Centre, 1-4pm and 5-8pm

There will also be a leaflet drop to over 50,000 households in the town.