PEOPLE in Weymouth are encouraged to have their say on which sites in the town they think should be developed to meet the future demand for homes and jobs in the community.

Weymouth Town Council has launched a 'call for sites' process to help shape the area's Neighbourhood Plan, which is a mechanise for helping communities, including residents and business owners, to influence the planning of the area in which they live and work.

A survey carried out at the beginning of the year revealed good quality jobs, good quality housing and reducing carbon emissions were among people's top priorities for Weymouth's future.

Following on from that, the new call for sites has been launched to give landowners, agents, residents and businesses the opportunity to suggest sites that could be developed to meet the future demand for homes, jobs, leisure or community use within the town and the surrounding area.

The call for sites will not in itself decide whether a site will be allocated for development, it will be used by town councillors to better understand the needs and wishes of people in the area.

Councillor David Northam, vice chair of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, said: "This plan is designed to help our communities, including residents and businesses, to have a say over future planning in the areas where they live or work.

"Therefore, it is important that these groups are given an opportunity to take part in the call to sites process which is now up and running for six weeks.

"This process alone won't decide whether a site would be allocated for development, but it will help the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group who are working on this project to gain a greater understanding of the needs and wishes of residents and businesses in the area.

"Together, we need to ensure that everyone is involved in planning the right types of development in the right places."

The closing date for participating in the call to sites is October 27. Once the deadline passes, any sites which came forward will be assessed in line with the government planning policies for England.

To take part, visit www.weymouthtowncouncil.gov.uk/neighbourhood-plan