An interactive consultation has been launched giving people the chance to have their say on North Tyneside Council's draft masterplan for North Shields. The digital consultation is hosted on North East-based startup PlaceChangers’ interactive engagement platform.
It comes after North Tyneside Council’s long anticipated draft Ambition for North Shields and the Fish Quay masterplan was made available for public consultation at the start of August to be developed with communities and businesses. The draft proposals covers the square mile around North Shields town centre, including the historic Fish Quay.
PlaceChangers, a local tech startup who also recently obtained funding from InnovateUK, the Government’s innovation agency, has been working closely with North Tyneside Council to bring their draft proposals to the comfort of people’s homes, on mobile and desktop devices.
Deputy Mayor of North Tyneside Cllr Bruce Pickard said:
“Our ambitious plans for North Shields to create great places to live, a good choice of high-quality housing and a thriving visitor destination will transform the town centre.
“These are still proposals and as a listening council we are seeking the views of residents, businesses and other interested parties to help shape our thinking before the plan is finalised so it’s great news that it is now even easier to have your say via this digital tool.”
Dr Sebastian Weise, CEO of PlaceChangers, noting the government’s recent planning reform proposals, added:
“The Covid-19 crisis has been a real challenge for planners to engage the public. Interactive digital consultations must certainly be on the table when it comes to engaging and being involved in designing neighbourhoods in the future. Covid-19 and the recent Planning White paper put an emphasis on digital collaborative tools for planners, that guide planning projects end-to-end”.
The role of public engagement, and the use of digital tools and data to inform planning decisions, are in the spotlight, nationwide, as heated discussions are ongoing regarding the future of housing, transport, infrastructure and active travel in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic.
In this context, businesses in the North East and local authorities like the North Tyneside Council are leading the way nationally. The Ambition for North Shields and the Fish Quay masterplan is an exemplar of the kind of public consultation the country will only see more of in the near future.
Projects such as the North Shields master plan, are just one of the areas where the the company helps. The company's platform recently also supported housing needs and character appraisals for affordable housing site as well as a master plan for new neighbourhood, for instance. With those services, planning professionals can develop planning proposals with relevant input from the local community, and developers can ensure that their projects softly land in the local community.
More about the North Shields master plan
Residents of North Tyneside and the wider area can get involved in the public consultation online at any time before the consultation ends on 16 October by visiting https://beta.placechangers.uk/s/115
Find out more about the draft masterplan for North Shields at https://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/category/1415/ambition-north-shields
Organisations mentioned
PlaceChangers is a startup focused on digital solutions for collaboration and engagement in development and regeneration projects. The PlaceChangers platform helps architects, urban planners, and developers to understand the context of new development proposals through collaboration and intelligent handling of data.
North Tyneside Council is a local authority in the North East of the UK.