A NUMBER of community organisations in Neston have joined forces to launch a special project to find out what residents’ aspirations are for their area.

With so much set to change in the Neston area with the town centre redevelopment, a new council and an emerging town council, residents are being asked to take positive steps to shape Neston and its surrounding area by putting on their thinking caps and coming up with ideas for the benefit of the whole community.

Local organisations including ch64inc, the Neston Civic Society, the new Neston Community and Youth Centre and aboutmyarea.co.uk have taken the initiative and launched ‘Our CH64’, an exercise to find out what practical changes people would like to see in their area. Anyone living in Neston, Little Neston, Burton, Ness, Parkgate or Willaston and the surrounding area can get involved.

People will be encouraged to submit their ideas in writing, on-line and at a specially organised open event planned for Tuesday, February 10 at Neston Town Hall, which anyone can attend.

Janet Griffiths of the Neston Civic Society explained: “There is so much local pride in Neston and its surrounding villages. We know that local people are passionate about where they live and we want to encourage them to get involved and make a positive contribution.

“By gathering strong evidence about people’s wants, needs, desires and priorities for the future, we can work together to make sure Neston is recognised as the unique place that we know it is and that our communities’ needs are met. We can present this to the borough council but it is now more important that we influence the new Cheshire West and Chester Council as they set out their plans.”

Robin Hughes of ch64inc added: “The town centre redevelopment will generate money and we want to be able to show the new authority the benefits of reinvesting that money in this area. We believe that the best way to ensure this happens is to build on the information gathered during the Neston Health Check and collate up-to-date details about what people’s priorities are, which can be presented to the existing borough and new Cheshire West councils.”

People can get involved in the “Our CH64’ project in a number of ways including:

Writing to ch64inc, Room 2, the Neston Centre, High Street, Neston, CH64 9TZ with their ideas and suggestions

Logging onto www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/ch64 and leaving a comment

Hopping on the Oscar bus on Friday 6 February

Visiting the ‘Our CH64’ stall at Neston Market on Friday, February 13.

The project has planned a special Planning Your Future event, which anyone can attend, at Neston Town Hall on Tuesday, February 10 – call in anytime between 12noon and 7pm.