WANTED: Your views on Billingham, Ingleby Barwick, Norton, Thornaby and Yarm

03 January 2020

Views on the future of town centres and high streets in Billingham, Ingleby Barwick, Norton, Thornaby and Yarm are being sought by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.

It's all part of the Council's pledge to lead a fightback across all six of the Borough's town centres and help them thrive.

That fightback got under way last year, with the Council taking advantage of opportunities to own and control key sites in Stockton town centre.

And now the Council is seeking people's views on the future of the other five centres in the Borough.

Councillor Nigel Cooke, the Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing, said: "Everybody knows town centres and high streets are struggling and time and again I see and hear local people calling for something to be done to help them.

"We've recognised that and we've responded by launching this fightback. We will do anything we can to support all of our six towns - Billingham, Ingleby Barwick, Norton, Stockton, Thornaby and Yarm - to be successful.

"The first of those conversations - about Stockton town centre - took place late last year due to Stockton being shortlisted to bid to the Government's Future High Streets Fund and us needing people's views in time to help shape the bid.

"The bid is now being drawn-up, and we'll have more on it in a few weeks' time, but for now our attention shifts to starting very similar conversations with people about the other five centres in the Borough.

"Once again, these will be very open and honest conversations, with nothing ruled in, and nothing ruled out. We want to know what our residents want and expect of their town centres and high streets."

How can I give my views?

There are five different 'Let's talk about our towns' documents - for Billingham, Ingleby Barwick, Norton, Thornaby and Yarm - complete with questionnaires.

Paper copies of all five documents are also available in Billingham Library, Norton Library, Ingleby Barwick Library, Thornaby Central Library, Yarm Library and Stockton Central Library.

You can return completed questionnaires in the boxes provided in each of these libraries or, if you'd rather take one home to complete it and return it by post you can pick up a freepost envelope in these libraries too.

Alternatively, you can attend one of the following drop-in sessions - please note you can discuss any of the towns at any of these sessions:

Norton

Tuesday, January 7, 11am to 3pm, Norton Library