Thornbury residents urged to get involved with town plan (From Gazette Series)

Thornbury town leaders encourage residents to give views on Thornbury of the future

10:52am Tuesday 24th January 2012 in News By Marion Sauvebois

THE FUTURE of Thornbury is up to its residents, town councillors have announced, as they are taking the first steps toward drawing up a new community plan.

Building on the existing 10-year Town Centre Strategy, the new project will be a long-term blueprint for the Thornbury of tomorrow.

A public consultation will be held on Thursday, March 15 at the Armstrong Hall to discuss ways to boost the town’s vitality and economy and the potential need for new infrastructures.

Locals will be invited to give their input and share their vision for an improved and more prosperous Thornbury.

Cllr Maggie Tyrrell, who sits on the town development committee, insisted that the strategy needed to be driven by the community for the community.

"We want to hear what people want for the town and we want them to lead the plan forward and get it off the ground," she told the Gazette.

"On March 15, we will do a brief presentation and then chat to the community. We don’t want to push people in a certain direction."

Art and Community in Thornbury’s proposal to turn the Armstrong Hall into a multi-million pound theatre complex, along with many potential environmental and cultural projects, will be put to the public at the meeting.

"It will be at least a ten-year plan," she added. "The Town Centre Strategy covers the period between 2009 and 2019 and we don’t want it to overlap, of course, but it will be a long-term project. It’s not just about housing.

"It’s about what people would like to see happen in the town, like new sports facilities, for example."

The feedback received from the youth questionnaires distributed to Castle School pupils and youngsters across town will also weigh heavily in the drafting process.

She added: "If young people want to get involved in the strategy, we will be happy to listen to them. They might still be living in Thornbury in ten years’ time if it becomes the town they want it to be."

The meeting will take place at 7.30pm. For more information contact the town hall on 01454 412103.

Anyone unable to attend can share their views with Thornbury Town Council in writing.